SI
Savara Inc (SVRA)·Q2 2020 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q2 2020 narrowed loss materially as operating expenses declined 58% YoY (R&D -42%, G&A -26%) following the wrap-up of AVAIL enrollment and reduced Molgradex activities; net loss was $9.4M or $(0.16) vs $(21.9)M or $(0.57) in Q2 2019 .
- IMPALA 2 (confirmatory P3 in aPAP) finalized: 160 patients, double‑blind, 48‑week placebo‑controlled with DLCO primary at week 24; start targeted for Q1 2021—management expressed high confidence given FDA/EMA input and improved standardization .
- Cash, cash equivalents and short‑term investments were ~$99.6M at 6/30 with ~$24.9M debt; company anticipates an additional ~$46M gross proceeds from the second tranche of the Dec‑2019 financing, supporting operations and study initiations .
- Near‑term stock catalysts: IMPALA 2 site activations/first‑patient‑in, AVAIL topline (CF MRSA) expected early 2021, and clarity on Apulmiq program planning with FDA; note potential headwinds from Trikafta’s impact on CF treatment landscape .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
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What Went Well
- IMPALA 2 protocol locked with global footprint (~50 sites across ~15 countries) and enhanced rigor (standardized DLCO equipment/procedures), with 90% power to detect a 5.7% improvement in DLCO; management “confident in the study design” .
- Quote (CEO): “We are confident in the study design and believe IMPALA 2 will effectively measure the potential efficacy and safety of Molgradex to treat aPAP.”
- Expense discipline lowered quarterly burn: R&D down ~$4.4M YoY (AVAIL wind‑down, lower CMC/ops) and Molgradex program costs down ~$1.6M; G&A down ~$1.1M YoY .
- Adequate liquidity and expected financing tranche provide runway to execute on AVAIL readout and IMPALA 2 initiation; CFO reiterated capital sufficiency under current plan .
- IMPALA 2 protocol locked with global footprint (~50 sites across ~15 countries) and enhanced rigor (standardized DLCO equipment/procedures), with 90% power to detect a 5.7% improvement in DLCO; management “confident in the study design” .
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What Went Wrong
- COVID‑19 disrupted enrollment: AVAIL and ENCORE stopped enrolling in March; AVAIL primary population under‑enrolled (133/150), lowering statistical power .
- CF landscape shift: Management flagged Trikafta’s transformative effect potentially affecting AeroVanc’s addressable market; AVAIL does not assess combination with Trikafta .
- Other income swung negative vs prior year and modestly added to loss this quarter (other income (expense) net $(0.125)M in Q2 2020 vs $0.215M in Q2 2019) .
Financial Results
Notes:
- Revenue and gross/EBIT margins not applicable (no product revenue reported; loss from operations equals total operating expenses) .
KPIs and Program Metrics
Estimate Comparison (Wall Street Consensus)
- S&P Global consensus EPS and revenue for Q2 2020 were unavailable via our data connection at this time; consequently, we cannot assess beats/misses vs consensus for this quarter. Please note to refresh later when access resumes (S&P Global consensus unavailable).
Guidance Changes
No revenue/margin/OpEx formal financial guidance ranges were provided; updates focused on operational milestones and liquidity .
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- Strategic posture: “With a final design for IMPALA 2... we are confident in the study design and believe IMPALA 2 will effectively measure the potential efficacy and safety of Molgradex to treat aPAP.” — Rob Neville, CEO .
- Confidence and rationale: “With the ability to apply key learnings from the IMPALA 2 protocol... we believe IMPALA 2 has a high likelihood of success.” — CEO .
- Study design specifics: “IMPALA 2 sample size will be 160 patients… double‑blind, placebo‑controlled… efficacy assessed at week 24; 48‑week placebo‑controlled period… DLCO primary… standardized equipment… 90% powered to show 5.7% improvement.” — Badrul Chowdhury, CMO .
- Liquidity: “As of June 30, 2020, we had… approximately 100 million [cash/CE/STI] with 25 million of debt… including the anticipated second tranche of approximately 46 million… sufficient capital to fund our planned operations.” — David Lowrance, CFO (see also press release figures ).
Q&A Highlights
- IMPALA 2 footprint and submission timing: ~20 sites in US/Canada; ~15 total countries with EU, Japan, Korea participation; submission tied to 48‑week placebo‑controlled readout rather than 24‑week primary analysis .
- Apulmiq FDA discussions and overlap: Goal to meet FDA “as soon as feasible… hopefully this year, if not early next year”; likely run Apulmiq study planning/operations in parallel with IMPALA 2 once design is set .
- Whole lung lavage effect on endpoints: Management noted WLL did not show improvement in gas transfer in IMPALA as generally believed; any improvements were limited in duration, informing IMPALA 2 endpoint strategy .
Estimates Context
- S&P Global consensus for Q2 2020 EPS and revenue was not retrievable at this time; as a result, we cannot quantify beats/misses versus consensus for this quarter (S&P Global consensus unavailable).
- Given SVRA’s development‑stage status and no reported product revenue, investor focus should remain on opex burn vs plan and milestone timing (IMPALA 2 start, AVAIL topline) rather than near‑term P&L beats .
Key Takeaways for Investors
- IMPALA 2 design lock and standardized DLCO testing reduce execution risk; start targeted Q1’21 is a clear near‑term catalyst .
- Expense discipline materially narrowed the quarterly loss; watch that spend ramps back up as IMPALA 2 initiates .
- Liquidity appears sufficient with ~$99.6M cash at 6/30 and an anticipated ~$46M tranche; funding overhang mitigated in the near term .
- AVAIL readout in early 2021 remains a binary catalyst, but under‑enrollment in the primary population and Trikafta’s market impact temper expectations for AeroVanc .
- The narrative is shifting from “design uncertainty” to “execution and enrollment” for IMPALA 2; monitor site activations and any COVID‑related disruptions .
- Communication cadence change (away from quarterly calls toward event‑driven webcasts) increases the importance of tracking 8‑Ks and event updates for timely signals .
Supporting Citations: Q2 2020 8‑K and Exhibit 99.1 ; Q2 2020 earnings call transcript ; Q1 2020 8‑K/press release ; Q4 2019 8‑K/press release .