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PULSE BIOSCIENCES, INC. (PLSE)·Q1 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Pre-revenue quarter with accelerated operating spend to support clinical and commercialization milestones: GAAP operating expenses rose to $18.0M (+69% YoY), GAAP net loss was $16.8M (vs. $10.1M YoY), and EPS was $(0.25) (vs. $(0.18) YoY) .
- Liquidity remained strong: cash and cash equivalents were $119.3M at March 31, 2025 (vs. $118.0M at 12/31/24 and $34.9M at 3/31/24), aided by $14.1M of warrant exercises in Q1 .
- Clinical execution advanced across three devices: 100 European AF patients treated with the nsPFA 360° catheter and strong early durability (94.2% PV isolation; 95.5% posterior wall), EU IRB expanded surgical clamp feasibility to 60 patients, and >90 U.S. patients treated in soft tissue pilot; commercial launch of the percutaneous electrode targeted for H2 2025 .
- No Wall Street consensus available for Q1 2025 EPS or revenue via S&P Global; management reiterated H2 2025 initial revenue expectations tied to soft tissue commercialization, and IDE pivotal trial starts in mid-2025 for the 360 catheter and surgical clamp .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Device-level clinical momentum: “Clinical data on the catheter-based treatment of AF with the nsPFA 360° catheter were presented at the Heart Rhythm Society 2025 Meeting, demonstrating excellent procedure efficiency and acute outcomes” .
- Strong durability signals: 3‑month invasive remapping showed durable PV isolation in 81/86 veins (94.2%) and posterior wall isolation in 21/22 patients (95.5%), supporting the IDE path for the 360 catheter in mid‑2025 .
- Balance sheet flexibility maintained: Cash ended Q1 at $119.3M, with $14.1M raised through warrant exercises, preserving year‑end levels for clinical scale-up and commercialization .
What Went Wrong
- Elevated operating costs: GAAP costs/expenses rose to $18.0M (from $10.6M YoY) driven by stock-based compensation ($5.7M vs. $1.8M YoY) and expansion ahead of pivotal trials and launch .
- Higher cash burn: Cash used in operating activities increased to $13.5M in Q1 (vs. $9.8M YoY and $9.1M in Q4 2024), underscoring pre‑revenue investment intensity .
- No revenue yet: Product revenues remained $0 (as in Q4 and Q3 2024), pushing all profitability metrics deeper negative and delaying revenue-based validation until H2 2025 .
Financial Results
Income Statement vs Prior Quarters (oldest → newest)
Q1 2025 vs Q1 2024 (YoY)
Liquidity & Cash Flow
Non-GAAP Results (Q1)
Operational KPIs
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “We are pleased to be generating mounting clinical evidence that confirms the tremendous benefits of our nsPFA technology across each of our three devices.” — Paul LaViolette, CEO .
- “This early clinical work has positioned us favorably to initiate our IDE pivotal trial to support FDA approval of the nanosecond PFA 360 cardiac catheter system in the middle of the year.” — Paul LaViolette .
- “Non-GAAP costs and expenses … increased by $4.1 million to $12.7 million … GAAP net loss … was $16.8 million … cash and cash equivalents totaled $119.3 million … more than offset by $14.1 million in proceeds from the exercise of warrants.” — Jon Skinner, CFO .
Q&A Highlights
- The Q1 2025 call did not include an analyst Q&A session; the operator closed the call without questions .
- Management reiterated IDE timelines and H2 2025 commercialization steps within prepared remarks .
Estimates Context
- No Wall Street consensus available via S&P Global for Q1 2025 EPS or revenue; results therefore cannot be benchmarked to consensus for this quarter [GetEstimates: Q1 2025 empty].
- Current forward consensus (limited coverage) suggests ongoing losses and small initial revenues as commercialization begins:
Values retrieved from S&P Global.*
Implications: As PLSE transitions from pre‑revenue to initial commercialization in H2 2025, estimate revisions will likely hinge on cadence of system placements, utilization in soft tissue, and clarity on pivotal trial progress for AF devices.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Pre‑revenue profile persists with an H2 2025 launch path for soft tissue ablation; initial revenue depends on installed base and procedural adoption in benign thyroid nodules .
- Clinical de‑risking for AF: strong early durability and efficiency metrics for the 360 catheter improve visibility into mid‑2025 IDE pivotal initiation and eventual PMA route .
- Cash runway supported by warrant exercises; liquidity of $119.3M should fund pivotal studies and commercial build‑out, though operating cash burn rose to $13.5M in Q1 .
- Expense intensity reflects stock‑based comp and scaling; monitor normalized opex (non‑GAAP cost/expenses) which rose to $12.7M in Q1 .
- Near‑term trading catalysts: HRS/AF Symposium data dissemination, IDE approvals/starts (mid‑2025), and U.S. launch milestones for the percutaneous electrode .
- Medium‑term thesis: Platform optionality across soft tissue and AF, with differentiated nsPFA mechanism offering potential safety/efficacy advantages; value inflection with pivotal data and early commercialization execution .
- Watch for reimbursement clarity and workflow best practices in thyroid nodules to accelerate adoption and revenue conversion in H2 2025 .