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Arbutus Biopharma Corp (ABUS)·Q3 2025 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • Q3 2025 revenue was $0.53M and diluted EPS was -$0.04, with revenue and EPS both missing Wall Street consensus; revenue declined year over year due to lower license royalty revenue linked to Alnylam’s ONPATTRO sales .
  • Operating discipline sharply reduced OpEx (R&D $5.8M; G&A $3.0M) and narrowed net loss to $7.7M from $19.7M YoY; cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities ended the quarter at $93.7M .
  • Clinical updates strengthened the imdusiran narrative: 46% of Phase 2a patients met criteria to discontinue all treatment and 94% of those in long-term follow-up remained off therapy for up to 2+ years; AB-101 showed strong PD-L1 occupancy and was recognized with a Poster of Distinction at AASLD .
  • Litigation milestones remain tangible catalysts: favorable claim construction in the Pfizer/BioNTech case (Sept 2025), with the Moderna U.S. trial scheduled for March 2026 .

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

What Went Well

  • Cost structure reset: R&D fell to $5.8M (from $14.3M YoY) and G&A to $3.0M (from $4.5M), materially narrowing net loss and improving cash runway optics .
  • Clinical durability and breadth: “In total, a combined 46% of all Phase 2a patients were able to discontinue all treatment… 94% of those follow-up patients have remained off all treatment for between 58 to 109 weeks,” with functional cures persisting and HBV DNA suppressed below quantification .
  • Strategic positioning: CEO emphasized disciplined execution and acceleration plans for imdusiran development—“We remain dedicated to accelerating the development and potential approval of imdusiran” .

What Went Wrong

  • Top-line pressure: Q3 revenue of $0.53M declined YoY on reduced license royalty revenues primarily due to lower ONPATTRO sales (Alnylam), highlighting low near-term revenue visibility .
  • Estimates miss: Revenue and EPS came in below consensus, exposing sensitivity to small base effects and non-recurring revenue tailwinds seen in Q2 .
  • Restructuring timing extended: Remaining restructuring-related payments now expected to be made by Q1 2026, later than the H2 2025 expectation indicated earlier, limiting near-term cash burn relief optics .

Financial Results

MetricQ3 2024Q1 2025Q2 2025Q3 2025
Revenue ($USD Millions)$1.339 $1.764 $10.739 $0.529
Diluted EPS ($USD)-$0.10 -$0.13 $0.01 -$0.04
Net Loss ($USD Millions)-$19.717 -$24.526 $2.523 -$7.742
Research & Development ($USD Millions)$14.273 $8.959 $5.498 $5.778
General & Administrative ($USD Millions)$4.537 $5.832 $3.328 $3.044

Revenue breakdown

Revenue Component ($USD Millions)Q3 2024Q1 2025Q2 2025Q3 2025
Collaborations and licenses$0.767 $1.316 $10.213 $0.280
Non-cash royalty revenue$0.572 $0.448 $0.526 $0.249
Total Revenue$1.339 $1.764 $10.739 $0.529

KPIs

KPIQ3 2024Q1 2025Q2 2025Q3 2025
Cash, cash equivalents & marketable securities ($USD Millions)$122.6 (FY end reference) $112.7 $98.1 $93.7
Shares outstanding (Millions)189.0 (weighted avg) 191.5 (period-end) 191.6 (period-end) 192.0 (period-end)

Notes: Margin metrics (gross, operating) are not applicable for development-stage profiles with minimal product revenue.

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
Restructuring-related payments timingH2 2025 vs. Q1 2026“All remaining restructuring-related payments are expected to be made in the second half of 2025” “All remaining restructuring-related payments are expected to be made by the first quarter of 2026” Extended timeline (later)
Revenue guidanceFY/QtrNot provided Not provided Maintained (none)
OpEx guidanceFY/QtrNot provided Not provided Maintained (none)
Tax rate, OI&E, dividendsFY/QtrNot provided Not provided Maintained (none)

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

No Q3 2025 earnings call transcript was located; themes are derived from Q1, Q2, and Q3 earnings materials.

TopicPrevious Mentions (Q-2 and Q-1)Current Period (Q3 2025)Trend
Imdusiran functional cure/discontinuation8 functional cures; baseline HBsAg <1000 IU/mL associated; combination regimens (IFN, VTP-300 ± low-dose nivolumab) 46% of Phase 2a patients achieved functional cure or remained off NA therapy ≥48 weeks; 94% long-term follow-up remain off therapy; continued HBV DNA suppression Strengthening durability and breadth
AB-101 PD-L1 oral inhibitor100% RO in 11/13 healthy volunteers at 40mg; early patient data; generally well tolerated Poster of Distinction; dose-related RO, e.g., 68–100% at 30mg; well tolerated Advancing with favorable safety/PD
Litigation (Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech)Summary judgment phase starting July 2025; trial scheduled Sept 2025 (later reassigned; updates ongoing) Favorable claim construction vs Pfizer/BioNTech; Moderna U.S. trial scheduled for March 2026; international cases in 2026+ Clearer timelines; positive legal development
Corporate restructuringWorkforce reduction; discovery ceased; HQ exit; restructuring costs concentrated Q1 Extended payment timing into Q1 2026 Timing extended
Revenue driversDeferred revenue recognition from Qilu unwind drove Q2 spike Decline in license royalty revenue impacts Q3; minimal recurring revenue Volatile; non-recurring drivers

Management Commentary

  • “The strength of our third quarter performance reflects our disciplined focus on executing strategic priorities… We remain dedicated to accelerating the development and potential approval of imdusiran.” — Lindsay Androski, President & CEO .
  • “Once again holding global rights for imdusiran… were two important steps taken this quarter in our quest to drive long-term value…” — Lindsay Androski (Q2 release) .

Q&A Highlights

  • No formal Q3 2025 earnings call transcript was available; therefore, no Q&A disclosures were found for this quarter [ListDocuments returned none].
  • Clarifications embedded in the release: revenue decline tied to lower license royalty revenue (ONPATTRO) and restructuring payment timing extension to Q1 2026 .

Estimates Context

MetricQ3 2025 ConsensusQ3 2025 Actual
Revenue ($USD)$0.941M*$0.529M
Primary EPS ($USD)-$0.03*-$0.04
Target Price ($USD)$5.64*$5.64*

Values retrieved from S&P Global.
Number of estimates: Revenue (4); EPS (4); Target Price (3)*.

Performance vs consensus:

  • Revenue missed consensus by ~44% (actual $0.529M vs $0.941M)* .
  • EPS missed by ~$0.01 (actual -$0.04 vs -$0.03)* .

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • Operating reset is working: materially lower R&D and G&A drove a sharply narrower net loss; this underpins cash runway of $93.7M at quarter-end .
  • Near-term revenue remains limited and volatile; absent Q2’s deferred revenue recognition, ABUS relies on small license royalty flows (subject to ONPATTRO variability) .
  • Clinical momentum in imdusiran is the core equity driver: higher rates of treatment discontinuation and sustained off-therapy durability are increasingly compelling .
  • AB-101’s oral PD-L1 profile continues to de-risk with strong receptor occupancy and acceptable tolerability—an attractive component in combo regimens .
  • Legal overhangs double as potential catalysts: favorable claim construction vs Pfizer/BioNTech and the March 2026 Moderna trial timeline frame optionality and event risk .
  • Watch for development path clarity (Phase 2b imdusiran) and any partnering updates that could bolster funding and external validation .
  • Tactical view: estimates misses on low revenue base may pressure shares short-term, but ongoing clinical durability data and litigation milestones could drive periodic re-rating events .