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Oncocyte Corp (OCX)·Q1 2025 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • Q1 2025 delivered a sharp sequential improvement in gross margin (62% vs 40% in Q4 2024) on $2.14M in pharma services revenue, reflecting lab automation and workflow enhancements; non-GAAP loss from operations was $4.96M and GAAP EPS was ($0.26) .
  • Management reaffirmed timelines: final FDA Q-Sub meeting “in the coming weeks,” FDA submission targeted by year-end 2025, with anticipated authorization in H1 2026, and a company rename with a new NASDAQ ticker in Q2 2025 .
  • Commercial momentum: 10 leading centers running GraftAssure RUO kits (3 US, 6 Europe, 1 Southeast Asia) and expectation that at least three of the top 10 US transplant centers will participate in the clinical trial (representing ~10% of US transplant volumes) .
  • Liquidity strengthened by February financing; cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash ended Q1 at $32.7M; targeted cash burn about $6M per quarter; CFO guided Q2 pharma services revenue to be < $500k given lumpiness and focus on core priorities .
  • Subsequent catalyst: CMS increased reimbursement to $2,753 per result for the CLIA lab test (GraftAssureCore), aligning price with competitors and supporting future kit reimbursement “bridging” upon FDA authorization .

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

  • What Went Well

    • Gross margin expanded to 62% on process improvements (automation, workflow efficiency), up from 40% in Q4 2024 .
    • Strong stakeholder pull-in: at least three of the top 10 US transplant centers expected in the clinical trial; growing RUO adoption with 10 leading centers globally .
    • Strategic clarity and tech differentiation: “It’s simpler, it’s faster and it offers better sample economics than NGS at low volumes,” positioning digital PCR for decentralized, in-lab testing .
  • What Went Wrong

    • Revenue concentration and lumpiness: “vast majority” of Q1 pharma services from a single corporate customer; April had no services invoices; Q2 pharma services guide < $500k .
    • Company remains pre-revenue on its core transplant kits; net loss of ($6.67M) persists pending regulatory milestones and commercialization .
    • Physician behavior change and adoption friction acknowledged; centers are risk-averse and will require “show-me” side-by-side performance before flipping volumes in-house .

Financial Results

MetricQ1 2024Q3 2024Q4 2024Q1 2025
Revenue ($USD Millions)$0.176 $0.115 $1.486 $2.138
Gross Profit ($USD Millions)$0.045 $0.050 $0.595 $1.325
Gross Margin %25.6% (calc. from rev/gp) 43.5% (calc. from rev/gp) 40.0% 62.0%
Operating Expenses ($USD Millions)$9.312 $13.565 $34.222 $8.124
Net Loss ($USD Millions)($9.129) ($13.493) ($33.511) ($6.671)
EPS (Basic/Diluted, $)($1.13) ($0.98) ($1.93) ($0.26)
Non-GAAP Loss from Operations ($USD Millions)($5.033) ($5.585) ($4.361) ($4.956)

Segment/Mix (where disclosed):

MetricQ4 2024Q1 2025
Pharma Services Revenue ($USD Millions)$1.5 (pharma services) $2.1 (pharma services)

KPIs and Operating Metrics:

KPIQ1 2025Reference
RUO Sites Running GraftAssure10 centers (3 US, 6 Europe, 1 SE Asia)
Expected Clinical Trial Participation≥3 of top 10 US centers; ~10% US transplant volume represented
Cash, Cash Equivalents & Restricted Cash$32.729M
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities($5.858M)
Capital Expenditures$0.307M
Accounts Receivable (End of Q1)$3.540M (collected $1.4M first week of April)
Weighted Avg Shares25.694M
Shares Outstanding (as of May 12)28.6M

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
FDA Submission Timing (Transplant Kit)2025Mid-2025 (earlier commentary) By end of 2025 Maintained/clarified timeline
FDA AuthorizationH1 2026H1 2026 H1 2026 Maintained
RUO Site AdoptionFY 2025≥20 sites by YE 2025 On track for ≥20 sites Maintained
Q2 Pharma Services RevenueQ2 2025N/A< $500,000; no April invoices New guide lower vs Q1
Cash Burn Target2025~$6M per quarter ~$6M per quarter; Q2/Q3 heavier Maintained/updated phasing
Corporate Rename/NASDAQ TickerQ2 2025N/ARename and new ticker in Q2 New

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

TopicPrevious Mentions (Q-2: Q3 2024; Q-1: Q4 2024)Current Period (Q1 2025)Trend
Digital PCR vs NGSEmphasized speed, simplicity; 4–8h PCR vs ≥30h NGS; single-sample economics “Simpler, faster, better sample economics” reinforced; Bio-Rad platform ease-of-use Strengthening value prop
Decentralization/In-house TestingLand-and-expand RUO; concentrated markets; Bio-Rad partnership opening doors Strong pull from top US centers; in-house preference; physicians likely to align with center platform Adoption momentum building
Regulatory Path/TimingDe novo pathway clarified; Q-Sub underway; Phase-gate plan Final Q-Sub “in coming weeks”; submission by YE 2025; H1 2026 authorization Milestones approaching
Pharma Services LumpsModest, variable; not core focus Q1 exceeded internal expectations; Q2 guide < $500k; April 0 invoices Near-term decline as priorities pivot
IOTA (CMS model) & Market ExpansionIOTA rollout expected to raise adverse events/testing demand Field skepticism; net likely demand increase; anti-CD38 therapies tailwind TAM expansion narrative
Oncology (DetermaIO)NeoTRIP CCR publication; CMS submission; partner interest Partner discussions; SWOG 800-patient readout hoped EOY; kitted possibilities Optionality improving

Management Commentary

  • “It’s simpler, it’s faster and it offers better sample economics than NGS at low volumes.” — CEO Josh Riggs on digital PCR differentiation .
  • “At this time, we expect Q2 pharma services revenue to be less than $500,000. And we did not invoice for any services in the month of April, which really speaks to its lumpiness.” — CFO Andrea James .
  • “We continue to target FDA approval in the first half of 2026.” — CEO Josh Riggs reaffirming timing .
  • “Ten leading transplant centers are now using our GraftAssure RUO kits… first commercial orders are expected later this year.” — Shareholder letter .
  • “Our reported revenues of $2.14 million in Q1 2025… gross margin—up from 40% in Q4 2024… operational efficiencies… higher number of samples per batch.” — Shareholder letter .

Q&A Highlights

  • Oncology optionality: larger pharma customer exploring DetermaIO kit potential; positioning vs MSI/TMB, with colon cancer use cases .
  • DetermaIO milestones: SWOG study (800 patients, 5-year, 2-year follow-up) samples in-house; hopeful readout late 2025 (e.g., SABCS) .
  • Trial site enthusiasm & adoption curve: top centers “enthusiastic,” but risk-averse; estimate 6+ months integration before meaningful volume ramp .
  • IOTA impact & anti-CD38 tailwinds: likely demand increase; need to manage marginal organs; felzartamab/daratumumab data supports monitoring utility .
  • Q-Sub focus: FDA education on digital PCR specifics; five targeted questions to align on final submission acceptance; central IRB already approved; first samples imminent .

Estimates Context

  • S&P Global (Capital IQ) consensus estimates could not be retrieved for OCX due to a mapping error (Missing CIQ mapping). As a result, Wall Street consensus for revenue/EPS/EBITDA is unavailable for direct comparison this quarter [SpgiEstimatesError].
  • Given the unavailability of SPGI consensus, we benchmarked performance vs prior quarter and prior year. Values retrieved from company documents as cited above.

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • Margin proof-point: A 62% gross margin on $2.14M of revenue demonstrates the Nashville lab’s efficiency gains and validates scalability ahead of kit commercialization .
  • Near-term revenue will be muted: CFO guiding Q2 pharma services revenue < $500k, reflecting the strategic focus on clinical trial and RUO site unlock; do not extrapolate Q1 run-rate .
  • Regulatory milestones in sight: Final Q-Sub and YE submission targets are intact; de novo pathway provides category leadership optics; watch for clinicaltrials.gov listing and first patient-in .
  • Adoption trajectory favors 2026+: Expect staged integration at centers (6–9 months) with the largest revenue inflection in 2027 from day-one sites; narrative aligns with decentralized testing economics .
  • CMS reimbursement uplift: New $2,753 rate for GraftAssureCore underpins economic attractiveness and supports reimbursement “bridging” for the future FDA-cleared kit, a key commercialization catalyst .
  • Strategic optionality: Oncology (DetermaIO) partnering and SWOG study readout create upside optionality without distracting capital; focus remains squarely on transplant .
  • Liquidity and burn under control: ~$32.7M cash and targeted ~$6M/quarter burn provide runway through submission; monitor Q2/Q3 phasing and instrument purchases for trial sites .

Appendix: Additional Data Points and Notes

  • Non-GAAP reconciliation: Adjusted loss from operations improved to ($4.96M) in Q1 2025 vs ($5.59M) in Q3 2024 and ($4.36M) in Q4 2024 .
  • RUO pipeline and commercialization sequencing: First commercial RUO orders expected later in 2025; US site mix to skew higher ahead of launch .
  • Name/ticker change: Rename and new NASDAQ ticker anticipated in Q2 2025, executed on a tight budget to preserve capital for R&D and commercialization .

Citations:
All figures, quotes, and statements are sourced from Oncocyte’s Q1 2025 press release and 8-K , Q1 2025 earnings call transcript , Q4 2024 materials , Q3 2024 materials , Q2 2024 materials , and the May 19, 2025 CMS reimbursement update .