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Valneva SE (VALN)

Q2 2025 Earnings Call· Tue, Aug 12, 2025

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Transcript

Joshua Drumm

Management

Thank you, operator. Hello, and thank you for joining us to discuss Valneva's first half 2025 results and corporate update. It's my pleasure to welcome you today. In addition to our press release and analyst presentation, you can find our consolidated financial results for the 6 months ended June 30, 2025, which were published earlier today available within the Financial Reports section on our Investor website. I'm joined today by Valneva's CEO, Thomas Lingelbach; and our CFO, Peter Buhler, who will provide an overview and update on our business as well as our key financial results for the first half. There will be an analyst Q&A session at the conclusion of the prepared remarks. Before we begin, I'd like to remind listeners that during this presentation, we will be making forward-looking statements, which are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You can find additional information about these risks and uncertainties in our periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and with the French Market Authority, which are listed on our company website. Please note that today's presentation includes information provided as of today, August 12, 2025, and Valneva undertakes no obligation to revise or update forward- looking statements, except as required by applicable securities laws. With that, it's my pleasure to introduce Thomas to begin today's presentation.

Thomas Lingelbach

Management

Thank you, Josh. Good day, everyone. It's a pleasure to present our first half 2025 financial results and key business highlights. A first half of the year that has been quite eventful and marked by excellence in execution. We achieved total revenues close to EUR 100 million, a very significant year-over-year growth and a cash position of more than EUR 160 million, which also marks not only a strong additional cash influx through ATM transactions, but also a significant reduction in operating cash burn, which again shows you that we are focusing on investing into the right things and really making sure that we retain a strong cash position as we go into the period of Lyme data readout. We have further pipeline and regulatory progress around Lyme, IXCHIQ and Shigella, and I'm going to go into those in more detail. When we look on Page 5, what we have really seen or what we are seeing is our key highlights. In line with our mission and vision, we have really addressed unmet medical need in the first half of the year. We finalized a new supply agreement for IXIARO with the U.S. Department of Defense. And we responded to the French government's call for IXCHIQ to combat chikungunya outbreak in La Réunion and Mayotte. We also responded to the cholera outbreak in Mayotte by supplying doses of DUKORAL. So really by addressing those unmet medical needs, ensuring that we make a change to peoples' lives. On the regulatory and commercial achievements, we secured additional marketing authorizations for IXCHIQ in the United Kingdom, in Brazil and label extensions for IXCHIQ in Europe for adolescents 12 years of age and older. We also announced an exclusive vaccine marketing and distribution agreement for Germany with CSL Seqirus, and we are happy about…

Peter Buhler

Management

Thank you, Thomas, and good morning and good afternoon to all of you. Now moving to the financials of the first half of 2025. Product sales reached EUR 91 million compared to EUR 68.3 million in the first half of 2024, an increase of 33.3%. Foreign currency fluctuation had an adverse impact of EUR 500,000. IXIARO sales reached EUR 54.7 million, increasing 30.6% over prior year. The strong year-over-year growth was equally driven by sales to travelers and to the Department of Defense. IXIARO sales during the first quarter of 2024 were adversely impacted by supply constraints. DUKORAL sales grew year-over-year by 16.4% and reached EUR 17.4 million in the first half of 2025. The growth in DUKORAL sales was supported by a EUR 1.1 million sales to the French island of Mayotte to combat a local cholera outbreak. IXCHIQ sales reached EUR 7.5 million compared to EUR 1 million in the first half of 2024 when the product has been launched in the United States. IXCHIQ sales in the first half of 2025 benefited from a supply of 40,000 doses to the French island La Réunion as the island experienced a major chikungunya outbreak. Third-party products increased by 8.8% year-over-year to reach EUR 11.4 million. This increase is primarily a result of supply constraints in the first half of the prior year, and we continue to expect a gradual decrease of third-party products. Moving onto the income statement. Total revenues reached EUR 97.6 million versus EUR 70.8 million in the first half year of 2024. The increase of 37.8% is driven by higher product sales and an increase in other revenues related to the licensing agreement with the Serum Institute of India for Valneva single-shot chikungunya vaccine. Looking at expenses. Cost of goods and services for the first half…

Thomas Lingelbach

Management

Thank you, Peter. Yes, when we look at the 2025 guidance, of course, it is important that we look at the growth drivers and the growth drivers primarily are, as Peter mentioned last. I think the VLA15 program or the Lyme disease program with Pfizer is not only the single largest catalyst for the company and its future development and strategic optionality, but it's also the vaccine that could make the single largest impact to people's lives. As such, it is very highly matching with our purpose, our vision and mission. Of course, in the near term, as Peter said, we will focus on growing commercial revenues, and we will reposition IXCHIQ as the right vaccine against chikungunya for the right setting and the right population and the right geographical areas. With regard to future pipeline, we have our two early-stage or mid-stage clinical assets, Shigella and Zika. And our goal is to not only progress those programs, but possibly even further augment our pipeline post Phase III successful line. As such, we have really a great opportunity to become on the back of a positive Lyme outcome, the leading vaccine biotech in the world. And with that, I would like to hand back to the operator to take the questions.

Operator

Operator

[Operator Instructions] We are now going to proceed with our first question. And the questions come from the line of Maury Raycroft from Jefferies.

Mohamad Amin Makarem

Analyst

This is Amin on for Maury. Congrats on the progress. A couple of questions from us. Regarding the 40,000 doses you sold to the French government, should we expect any additional revenue recognition in Q3? Also, could you share your perspective on demand scenarios for IXCHIQ through year-end, considering the evolving CHIKV outbreak in Indian Ocean and now it looks like China?

Thomas Lingelbach

Management

Yes. So let me start with the second part of your question, and then I hand over to Peter to take the first part of your question. So you're absolutely right. I mean we are seeing right now a very critical and devastating epidemiological dynamics around chikungunya. We are in contact with all the respective governments where currently outbreaks are occurring. As I mentioned earlier, we believe that especially for those countries, our vaccine proposition represents a very good vaccine solution. It's too early to state at this point in time where and how we will be able to respond. We have no supply constraints. We have sufficient material available for addressing those potential response strategies. But we also would like to make sure that we stay in control over those vaccination or potential vaccination campaigns given the experience that we had with La Réunion. So therefore, bear with us that at this point in time, we don't want to promise anything other than we will be utmost responsive. Peter?

Peter Buhler

Management

Yes. So on the 40,000 doses, they were all shipped in the first half year, and the revenue was fully recognized in the first half year. So nothing related to that 40,000 to come in the second half.

Operator

Operator

We are now going to proceed with our next question. And the questions come from the line of Sebastiaan van der Schoot from Van Lanschot Kempen.

Sebastiaan van der Schoot

Analyst

I am on for Suzanne. And for the Lyme vaccine, could you maybe provide some insight on how the reporting of the data readouts will transpire at year-end? Will the disclosure only report top line data? Or can we also expect some detailed results? And then maybe would you be able to position the vaccine in terms of immunogenicity towards vaccines of the past?

Thomas Lingelbach

Management

We couldn't -- Sebastiaan, we couldn't hear the second part of your question. You were breaking up for most part of the question, I'm sorry for that.

Sebastiaan van der Schoot

Analyst

Sure. It's regarding the immunogenicity profile of the vaccine versus past COVID -- I'm sorry, Lyme vaccines in the past from the '90s.

Thomas Lingelbach

Management

Yes. Okay. So let us, first of all, address the first part of the question. Of course, the reporting of the Phase III results is under the sole responsibility and accountability of Pfizer. We are currently expecting that the data readout will come in two steps, namely a report on the so-called top line data, which primarily will include efficacy numbers and then a subsequent data communication on all the other endpoints given that, as you know, the study has many endpoints and many primary, secondary exploratory -- there are many things that will need to be reported. And as we said in the past and as many of you have it already included in the respective reports, we expect all data to be out probably by the end of the first quarter, but definitely in time to support the anticipated regulatory submissions around mid next year. When it comes to the immunological profile, it is very difficult to compare what was observed from an immunological profile back in the days from vaccines that had undergone Phase III studies like LYMErix or ImuLyme because they had very different schedules. The entire formulation was different. The antigen construct was different. The assays were different. What we can say is that we have tried to compare the -- those previous full-length serotype 1 antigen to our most modern recombinant subunit and multivalent fusion protein VLA15 in different animal models. We have published those results in the direct comparison against what we call in parenthesis an full length of a serotype 1 biosimilar, and we have seen that across the border, we could really identify noninferiority or in many cases, also superiority. Any other comparison right now would just not be scientifically sound. And by the end of the day, the efficacy readout will tell us, Sebastiaan.

Operator

Operator

We are now going to proceed with our next question. And the questions come from the line of Damien Choplain from Stifel.

Damien Choplain

Analyst

Congrats on the good publication. I have first one on IXCHIQ. So could you please elaborate a bit on what might trigger an acceleration in sales uptake within the traveler market? And are you still in discussion with the states in the U.S. for potential stockpiling? And my second question is on distribution agreements with CSL. What should we expect in terms of financial impact on top line and potentially EBITDA?

Thomas Lingelbach

Management

Yes. So let me start with the second part of your question first. We have been collaborating with Bavarian Nordic for a number of years now in Germany and for reasons that we all understand. We have to change, and we have been extremely pleased that we were able to find with CSL from our perspective, an excellent partner with an excellent state infrastructure in Germany. The commercial terms under the agreement are very similar to what we used to have. And therefore, we do not expect an immediate difference in the prospects around Germany in the mid- to long term as CSL gear further up in Germany, we may even see a potential upside. When it comes to IXCHIQ and future market access, you would certainly appreciate that the uncertainty that we have experienced and had to experience following all those safety investigations has an impact on the market uptake for that vaccine. At the same time, we know that the vaccine profile and especially the profile of a live-attenuated single-shot vaccine has distinct advantages when it comes to future outbreak preparedness. And therefore, we are expecting that now that all those restrictions got lifted, the investigations got concluded, the -- that prescribing information and SmPC got updated, we will see a new momentum. And we expect, as I mentioned earlier, hopefully, to be able to respond to some of the emerging outbreaks across the globe right now. And all the other discussions will hopefully resume now in the latter part of this year.

Operator

Operator

[Operator Instructions] We are now going to proceed with our next question. And the questions come from the line of Rajan Sharma from Goldman Sachs.

Rajan Sharma

Analyst

So a couple on Lyme and VALOR trial. So on clinicaltrials.gov, the entry suggests that the primary completion date of the trial is 26th of December. So I just wanted to double check your confidence that, that Phase III headline data will be coming in, in 2025? Or is there a potential that this could spill into 2026? And then just on the trial specifically, what do you consider to be the bar for success here? And I know you kind of talked about the inability to kind of do cross-trial comparisons with the previous sets of vaccines that were approved, but I think LYMErix demonstrated a 49% efficacy rate after two priming doses. And I think you've talked previously about potentially showing better efficacy. So is that what you're looking for? And if you have any color, it would be helpful to understand what the FDA's bar for approvability is as well.

Thomas Lingelbach

Management

So let me start with the second part of your question first. So you rightly pointed out that the direct comparison to LYMErix and ImuLyme is very difficult. And you know that schedule was different, but also the efficacy readout of the two vaccines were very different. And LYMErix after two doses, as you mentioned, a bit below 50%, ImuLyme above 60%. And then both very substantially increased after three doses. We have a different setup right now. We have with [ 0 to 2 tick ] and then a booster after 1 year. We have a very different immunological profile. And hence, we are also expecting a very different efficacy profile as compared to those vaccines that were developed at the time. There is a reason for why we [ concluded ] with the authorities to set this primary endpoint after 3 plus 1 doses. And we are -- and as I said earlier, all the models that were run and published in animals, [ therefore ] show a non-inferiority or superiority after the final dosing and this is what we are expecting, of course, that is what we are hoping for. There is no communicated or aligned bar for approval with the FDA or the European Medicines Agency, but there are precedents on certain efficacy levels that you can certainly point and filter out. But I don't want to mention here specifically any number. When it comes to the data readout, trials.gov always includes safety follow-up period and follow-up period. This is what all notifications on trials.gov show, trials.gov shows very clearly that we have to do case count until the end of October. And thereafter, as I mentioned at the beginning, Pfizer will go through their case adjudication process and their database cleaning. And it will take as long as it will take. For us, the most important thing is that Pfizer reaffirms the submission time lines and whether we will receive the top line data a month earlier or a month later, a, it is not in our control; and b, it is not material for us. And therefore, I don't want to comment on and put execution time lines at this moment in time into Pfizer here. It would not be appropriate for me to do that.

Operator

Operator

We have no further questions at this time. So I'll hand back to you for closing remarks. Thank you.

Thomas Lingelbach

Management

Yes. Thank you so much for your attendance today for your good questions and for following Valneva. I hope you share with us the exciting prospects that we see in the company, in our business, in our mission and vision. Thank you so much, and have a great day.

Operator

Operator

This concludes today's conference call. Thank you all for participating. You may now disconnect your lines. Thank you, and have a great day.