Pharmos Corporation Reports 2005 First Quarter Results Iselin, NJ, April 28, 2005 - Pharmos Corporation (Nasdaq: PARS) today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2005. In the first quarter Pharmos received a gross milestone payment of $12.3 million from a former marketing partner. As a result of this non-recurring milestone event, the Company recorded positive income and cash flow for the quarter. The recorded net income was $6.7 million, or $.07 per share, compared to a net loss of $5.9 million, or $.07 per share for the first quarter of 2004. Cash and cash equivalents totaled $54.3 million at March 31, 2005. Operating expenses in the 2005 first quarter were $4.4 million, 2% lower than the first quarter of 2004. Gross research and development expenses fell 39% in the 2005 first quarter to $2.5 million, primarily due to a reduction in clinical trial costs in connection with a large-scale Phase III trial and an exploratory Phase IIa trial, both of which were underway in the 2004 first quarter and completed in the 2004 fourth quarter. The reduction in clinical trial expenses was partially offset by a $0.8 million reduction in grant funding and by an additional $0.8 million in general and administrative expenses in the 2005 first quarter compared to the 2004 first quarter. General and administrative expenses rose to $1.8 million compared to $1.0 million in the 2004 first quarter reflecting higher professional fees, compensation, and consulting and insurance expenses. Increases in accounting fees in connection with Sarbanes-Oxley compliance and legal expenses drove the increase in professional fees in the 2005 first quarter. The increase in compensation is attributed to the amortization of deferred compensation retention award agreements for key executives. Increased consulting and insurance fees were primarily due to higher business development consulting expenses and increased insurance rates and coverage, respectively. Other income, net, was $11.1 million in the 2005 first quarter compared to net other expense of $1.5 million in the 2004 first quarter, primarily due to the aforementioned milestone payment received by Pharmos from a former marketing partner in the 2005 first quarter. In addition, interest expense decreased $1.3 million to $0.2 million in the 2005 first quarter in connection with a reduced average outstanding balance of Convertible Debentures issued in September 2003 that were repaid in full on March 31, 2005. “We’ve made significant progress in realigning our business focus and balancing our human and financial resources on our most promising clinical programs,” said Haim Aviv, Ph.D., Chairman & CEO. “With recent management changes and current cash reserves, we are well positioned to expand our product pipeline and advance new drug candidates into clinical development. We remain on track to launch a new clinical program in pain this year with cannabinor and to advance other early stage candidates that have yielded very promising new data in models of pain, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease.” Pharmos management will host a conference call to discuss the 2005 first quarter results at 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time today. A live webcast of the conference call will be available at http://phx.corporate-ir.net/playerlink.zhtml?c=70702&s=wm&e=1059666 and will be archived for a limited time afterwards. |