Ironwood reports Q2 EPS 0c, consensus 15c

Reports Q2 revenue $94.4M, consensus $107M. “We continued to make progress across our portfolio in the second quarter,” said Tom McCourt, chief executive officer of Ironwood Pharmaceuticals. “LINZESS prescription demand and new-to-brand growth remain robust, increasing 11% and 15% year-over-year in Q2, respectively. While demand is up, LINZESS continues to experience pricing headwinds driven by higher-than-expected Medicaid utilization trends. Even with continued LINZESS pricing pressure, we believe we are in a fortunate position with meaningful cash flow generation from LINZESS and a capital structure to support the continued execution of our strategic priorities. Beyond LINZESS, we have continued to receive positive feedback from physicians, key opinion leaders, and patient advocacy partners on apraglutide’s clinical profile. This positive feedback supports our belief that, if approved, apraglutide would be the drug of choice among physicians to treat adult patients with short bowel syndrome who are dependent on parenteral support, based on its demonstrated efficacy, tolerability and once-weekly dosing convenience. In addition, we look forward to providing an update on CNP-104 later this quarter, which will inform a decision on our option to acquire an exclusive license from COUR for CNP-104 in the U.S.”