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LifeMD, Inc. (LFMD)·Q4 2024 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q4 2024 delivered record consolidated revenue of $64.3M (+43% YoY) and adjusted EBITDA of $9.0M (+78% YoY), with telehealth revenue up 60% and telehealth adjusted EBITDA of $5.9M (+396% YoY) .
- Gross margin compressed to ~85% due to one-time pharmacy onboarding costs and revenue mix; management expects normalization to 88–90% in 2025 .
- Introduced 2025 guidance: revenue $265–$275M and adjusted EBITDA $30–$32M; Q1 2025 revenue $61–$63M and adj. EBITDA $5–$7M .
- Strategic catalysts: weight management program momentum (75k patients), LillyDirect Zepbound self-pay integration, Medicare launch (April), and ramping HRT and behavioral health offerings .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Telehealth growth and profitability: “Telehealth achieved 60% year-over-year growth… telehealth adjusted EBITDA increased 396% to $5.9 million.” — CFO Marc Benathen .
- Weight management platform: “We are especially pleased with the growth of our weight management program… Medicare launch is slated for April 1 and could be a significant growth driver…” — CEO Justin Schreiber .
- WorkSimpli stabilization: “WorkSimpli… returned to growth… adjusted EBITDA exceeded $1 million per month during the quarter…” — CFO Marc Benathen .
What Went Wrong
- Gross margin compression: consolidated gross margin ~85% (vs 88% prior-year) driven by pharmacy onboarding and mix; management expects return to 88–90% in 2025 .
- Continued GAAP loss: GAAP diluted loss per share of ($0.02) in Q4 (improved from ($0.12) YoY) .
- Regulatory and compounding uncertainty: Ongoing FDA-related questions around compounded GLP‑1s; management emphasized compliance and patient-first access while the landscape evolves .
Financial Results
Consolidated and Telehealth Metrics (Quarterly)
Segment and Subscriber Breakdown
KPIs and Cash Flow
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “LifeMD had a great fourth quarter… record quarterly revenue and adjusted EBITDA… Medicare launch is slated for April 1 and could be a significant growth driver… integration with LillyDirect to provide another more affordable route to Zepbound” — Justin Schreiber, CEO .
- “Telehealth achieved 60% year-over-year growth… telehealth adjusted EBITDA increased 396% to $5.9 million… introducing 2025 guidance for consolidated revenue of $265–$275 million and consolidated adjusted EBITDA of $30–$32 million.” — Marc Benathen, CFO .
- On Q4 gross margin: “Onboarding of a new pharmacy… front-loading expense… gross margin to return to 88%–90% going forward.” — CFO Marc Benathen .
- On GLP‑1 approvals: “Zepbound prior authorization approval rates approaching 60%… LillyDirect integration for self-pay vials.” — CEO Justin Schreiber .
- On HRT scale: “Clear pathway to a couple hundred patients a day… business could be as big as our ED or entire RexMD business.” — CEO Justin Schreiber; CFO noted conservative assumptions for 2025 .
Q&A Highlights
- GLP‑1 economics and LillyDirect: Integration with LillyDirect’s pharmacy provider (Gifthealth) to streamline Zepbound self-pay access; LifeMD monetizes care services, not pharmacy margin in that flow .
- Gross margin compression drivers: One-time pharmacy onboarding, inventory expense; normalization expected to 88–90% in 2025 .
- WorkSimpli outlook: Consistent ~$1M/month EBITDA; improvements from replatforming and marketing execution; divestiture still strategic consideration .
- Medicare/insured lives contribution: 2025 contribution modeled mid-single-digit % of revenue initially, scaling materially over 3–4 years as covered lives expand .
- FDA/compounding stance: Will follow FDA and legal guidance; maintain patient access, evaluate personalized compounded routes without IP violations .
Estimates Context
- S&P Global consensus for Q4 2024 (revenue, EPS, EBITDA) was unavailable at time of writing due to SPGI rate-limit errors; we attempted retrieval for Q4 2024 and the prior two quarters. Values retrieved from S&P Global are unavailable at this time.*
- Given the absence of consensus data, we cannot quantify beats/misses versus Wall Street for Q4 2024. Company guidance for Q4 in November (revenue $57–$58M; adj. EBITDA $6.5–$7.0M) was exceeded by actuals ($64.3M revenue; $9.0M adj. EBITDA), indicating an internal guidance beat .
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Q4 demonstrated strong operating momentum: revenue acceleration, telehealth profitability, and WorkSimpli stabilization; margin headwinds were transient and tied to pharmacy onboarding .
- 2025 setup is favorable: early-year revenue/EBITDA guidance plus Medicare launch and LillyDirect integration should support weight management access and retention .
- Watch GLP‑1 coverage trends: rising PA approvals (approaching ~60%) and self-pay price cuts enhance affordability—positive for patient conversion and program economics .
- HRT expansion under RexMD appears scalable with attractive unit economics and retention; management guided conservatively, implying potential upside if execution continues .
- Behavioral health entry broadens platform TAM and cross-sell potential, leveraging insurance infrastructure and primary care footprint .
- Near-term trading implication: Expect positive sentiment on guidance beat vs internal targets and strategy catalysts (Medicare/LillyDirect), with medium-term thesis tied to margin normalization and scaling insured-lives programs .
- Monitor regulatory signals around compounding and payer coverage; LifeMD aims to remain compliant while maximizing branded access and patient outcomes .
Appendix: Additional Q4 Detail
- Q4 Telehealth revenue: $49.889M; WorkSimpli revenue: $14.365M .
- Q4 Telehealth subscribers: ~275,267 (+27% YoY); WorkSimpli: ~163,743 (+3% YoY) .
- Q4 GAAP net loss to Adjusted EBITDA reconciliation total: $8.982M adjusted EBITDA .
- Cash at 12/31/24: $35.0M .