GUANGZHOU, China, May 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Burning Rock Biotech Limited (NASDAQ: BNR, the “Company” or “Burning Rock”), a company focused on the application of next generation sequencing (NGS) technology in the field of precision oncology, today reported financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2022.

Recent Business Updates

• 
  Therapy Selection
  
  
  and
  
  
  Minimal Residual Disease (MRD)
  
  • Continued growth through (i) market share gain through continued focus on the in-hospital segment and (ii) new product launch. Achieved 42% overall testing volume growth year-on-year during the first quarter of 2022, driven by the 83% testing volume growth of in-hospital segment year-on-year during the same period, while the testing volume of central laboratory segment grew 0.3% year-on-year. New products’ sales contributed 7% of the central laboratory segmental revenues for March 2022;
    • Burning Rock Liquid Biopsy Conference was successfully held in April 2022. The 2-day online session was chaired by Professor Jia Fan, Jinming Yu and Xu Zhang, with participation from over 140 oncologists, during which the Consensus on NGS Clinical Report Interpretation was released;
    • MRD data was released at American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2022 for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and colorectal cancer (CRC);
    • MRD product was commercially launched in March 2022.
• 
  Early Detection
  
  • Data release at AACR on analytical validation;
  • Commercialization in progress, with a few hospitals having completed product on-boarding and generating revenues.
• 
  Pharma Services
  
  • Continued revenue growth, with 302.7% revenue growth year-on-year during the first quarter of 2022. Pharma service contract backlog continues to build rapidly. The total value of new contracts we entered into during the first quarter of 2022 amounted to RMB59 million, representing approximately 125% increase from the first quarter of 2021.

First Quarter 2022 Financial Results

Revenues were RMB135.5 million (US$21.4 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2022, representing a 27.1% increase from RMB106.6 million for the same period in 2021.

• Revenue generated from central laboratory business was RMB74.2 million (US$11.7 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2022, representing a 0.5% decrease from RMB74.6 million for the same period in 2021.
• Revenue generated from in-hospital business was RMB49.0 million (US$7.7 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2022, representing a 68.9% increase from RMB29.0 million for the same period in 2021, driven by in-hospital testing volume growth.
• Revenue generated from pharma research and development services was RMB12.4 million (US$1.9 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2022, representing a 302.7% increase from RMB3.1 million for the same period in 2021, primarily attributable to increased testing performed for our pharma customers.
  

Cost of revenues was RMB47.9 million (US$7.6 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2022, representing a 61.5% increase from RMB29.7 million for the same period in 2021, primarily due to the Company’s continued business growth, increased depreciation in relation to our new laboratory and inventory write downs.

Gross profit was RMB87.6 million (US$13.8 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2022, representing a 13.8% increase from RMB76.9 million for the same period in 2021. Gross margin was 64.6% for the three months ended March 31, 2022, which decreased from 72.2% for the same period in 2021 primarily due to the increased depreciation in relation to our new laboratory and inventory write downs.

Non-GAAP gross profit, which excludes depreciation and amortization, was RMB92.7 million (US$14.6 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2022, representing a 20.2% increase from RMB77.1 million for the same period in 2021. Non-GAAP gross margin was 68.4% for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to 72.4% for the same period in 2021 primarily due to an increase of RMB4.8 million in inventory write downs (which resulted in a 3.5 percentage-point decrease of gross margin).

Operating expenses were RMB350.4 million (US$55.3 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2022, representing a 40.9% increase from RMB248.8 million for the same period in 2021. The increase was primarily driven by headcount growth to support our business expansion.

• Research and development expenses were RMB119.5 million (US$18.9 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2022, representing a 54.4% increase from RMB77.4 million for the same period in 2021, primarily due to (i) an increase in research and development staff cost which resulted from an increase in headcount and (ii) and increase in costs for certain research and development for early detection.
• Selling and marketing expenses were RMB89.2 million (US$14.1 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2022, representing a 61.8% increase from RMB55.1 million for the same period in 2021, primarily due to an increase in staff cost resulted from increase in headcount to strengthen our commercial presence in the therapy selection business and build up our early detection commercialization team.
• General and administrative expenses were RMB141.7 million (US$22.4 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2022, representing a 21.9% increase from RMB116.3 million for the same period in 2021, primarily due to an increase in general and administrative personnel’s staff cost resulted from an increase in headcount.
  

Net loss was RMB261.4 million (US$41.2 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to RMB171.4 million for the same period in 2021.

Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments were RMB1,502.9 million and RMB1,338.4 million (US$211.1 million) as of December 31, 2021 and March 31, 2022, respectively.

2022 Financial Guidance

Given the strong first quarter business performance and assuming that the impact of COVID-19 dissipates over time in China, Burning Rock reiterates its full year 2022 revenue guidance of approximately RMB620 million (US$97.8 million), implying a 22% growth over full year 2021.

Conference Call Information

Burning Rock will host a conference call to discuss the first quarter 2022 financial results at 8:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time (8:30 p.m. Hong Kong time) on May 31, 2022.

Details of the conference call are as follows:

A replay of the conference call will be available for one week (dial-in number: +61 2 8199 0299; same conference ID as shown above).

About Burning Rock

Burning Rock Biotech Limited (NASDAQ: BNR), whose mission is to guard life via science, focuses on the application of next generation sequencing (NGS) technology in the field of precision oncology. Its business consists of i) NGS-based therapy selection testing for late-stage cancer patients, and ii) cancer early detection, which has moved beyond proof-of-concept R&D into the clinical validation stage.

For more information about Burning Rock, please visit: ir.brbiotech.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “target,” “confident” and similar statements. Burning Rock may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the SEC, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Burning Rock’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based upon management’s current expectations and current market and operating conditions, and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond Burning Rock’s control. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any such statements. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Burning Rock does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable law.

Non-GAAP Measures

In evaluating the business, the company considers and uses non-GAAP measures, such as non-GAAP gross profit and non-GAAP gross margin, as supplemental measures to review and assess operating performance. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The company defines non-GAAP gross profit as gross profit excluding depreciation and amortization. The company defines non-GAAP gross margin as gross margin excluding depreciation and amortization.

The company presents these non-GAAP financial measures because they are used by management to evaluate operating performance and formulate business plans. The company believe non-GAAP gross profit and non-GAAP gross margin excluding non-cash impact of depreciation and amortization reflect the company’s ongoing business operations in a manner that allows more meaningful period-to-period comparisons.

Contact: [email protected]

⁽¹⁾

Represents physicians who on average order at least one test from us every month during a relevant period in the central laboratory channel.


⁽²⁾

Represents hospitals whose residing physicians who on average order at least one test from us every month during a relevant period in the central laboratory channel.

⁽¹⁾

Refers to hospitals that are in the process of establishing in-hospital laboratories, laboratory equipment procurement or installation, staff training or pilot testing using the Company’s products.


⁽²⁾

Refers to hospitals that have entered into contracts to purchase the Company’s products for use on a recurring basis in their respective in-hospital laboratories the Company helped them establish. Kit revenue is generated from contracted hospitals.