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MedAvail Holdings, Inc.
8/11/2021
Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Medivale's 2021 Second Quarter Earnings Conference Call. My name is Bethany, and I'll be coordinating this call for you today. If you would like to register to ask a question during the Q&A session, please press star followed by one on your telephone keypad. I will now hand the call over to your host, Caroline Poole, Investor Relations. To begin, Caroline, over to you.
Thank you. And thank you all for participating in today's call. Joining me are Ed Kilroy, Chief Executive Officer, and Brian Schlerf, Interim Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Controller. Earlier today, MedEvail Holdings released financial results for the second quarter ended June 30th, 2021. A copy of the press release is available on the company's website. Before we begin, I'd like to remind you that management will make statements during this call that include forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements contained in this call that relate to expectations or predictions of future events, results, or performance, or similar statements are forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, those relating to our operating trends and future financial performance, the impact of COVID-19 on our business and prospects for recovery, expense management, expectations for hiring, growth in our organization and reimbursement, market opportunity and expansion, and guidance for revenue gross margin and operating expenses in 2021 are based upon our current estimates and various assumptions. Also, management may make additional forward-looking statements in response to your questions. These statements involve material risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to materially defer from those anticipated or implied by these forward-looking statements and do not guarantee future performance. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these statements and should not rely on them in making an investment decision without considering the risks associated with such statements. For a list and description of the risks and uncertainties associated with our business, please refer to the risk factors section in our annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, on March 31st, 2021. This conference call contains time-sensitive information and is accurate only as of the live broadcast today, August 11th, 2021. MedEvail Holdings disclaims any intention or obligation, except as required by law, to update or revise any financial projections or forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events, or otherwise. And with that, I will turn the call over to Ed.
Thank you, Caroline. Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for joining us. We're encouraged to report another positive quarter with 20 sequential revenue growth from the first quarter of 2021. As a reminder, our business model has two business segments, the operation of our technology enabled high touch retail pharmacy using our proprietary technology and processes, known as our retail pharmacy services segment, and the sale or provision of these technologies to large customers to support their own pharmacy operations, known as our pharmacy technology segment. Our retail pharmacy segment generated $4.5 million in revenue for the second quarter of 2021, representing a 162% year-over-year increase and a 31% increase from first quarter of 2021. Our pharmacy technology revenues decreased 10% year over year in the second quarter of 2021 to $500,000. As we mentioned during our first quarter earnings call, many of our clients delayed deployments due to their focus on COVID vaccinations and attempting to resume more normal operations, which resulted in all of our first half deployments occurring in June. As such, our double digit sequential revenue growth for the second quarter was achieved through continued organic growth of the clinics we had installed by year end 2020. We are pleased to report that we did install 12 new clinics in June. 10 of the 12 were expansions with clients such as Oak Street Health, OptumCare, and CareMore. We remain cautiously optimistic that clinic visit volumes will return to pre-COVID levels in the back half of 2021. As with most of our new client installations, there are two steps. Our physical installation and an on-site inspection by the Board of Pharmacy for the state, which allows us to begin to dispense and generate revenue. In 2020, our experience had been that the time between physical installation and first dispense was approximately a four-week window, which we built into our plans. Due to the COVID and other external pressures on the boards of pharmacy, they have now pushed the expectation to eight to 12 weeks for the foreseeable future. These changes impact our ability to generate revenue from new clinics, and based on discussions with the boards of pharmacy, we expect these timelines to continue for at least the balance of 2021. Therefore, new clinics we deploy in the fourth quarter of 2021 are not likely to generate any appreciable revenue in this calendar year, which impacts our full-year revenue outlook. As we have discussed on previous calls, our value proposition is fueled by our embedded onsite pharmacy model in which we are viewed as a true partner to the clinics and care providers. The partnership with the clinics and care providers is focused on improving medication adherence and customer satisfaction. Our target clients all have common business models. High percentage of Medicare Advantage patients, run an at-risk model with payers so that the clinics are fully incentivized for high-quality outcomes versus the old fee-for-service model, and management systems built around high quality of care and customer service. As we have evaluated our current total install base, it is encouraging that our growth is with clients who are aligned with these attributes. As we have enhanced our target clinic analytical capabilities, we have identified several clinics that do not meet our expectations going forward as they have begun to transition from the height of COVID-19 period. We have decided to exit these sites prior to year-end 2021 and redeploy our valuable resources into clinics that more closely fit our target models. Therefore, between now and year end 2021, we expect to exit approximately 10 clinics that we do not feel fit our long-term model. We view this as the removal of a small anomaly in our clinic deployment ramp, albeit one that was taking up a disproportionate amount of our resources, which we can now be redeployed to greater effect in our core Medicare Advantage sites. The decision to withdraw from these approximately 10 clinics does not in expectation of deploying a minimum of 45 new clinics with SpotRx in 2021. With these withdrawals, we have reset our base of clinics and we feel that all of the clinics in our pipeline are aligned with our key criteria. Demand for our solution remains strong in the states where we currently are operating, including Arizona, California, Michigan, and Florida. Regarding our 2021 outlook, we are encouraged to see most of our clinic partners moving back to more normal operations. As a result, in July, we saw monthly sequential retail pharmacy services net revenue growth of 7% compared to June. However, while the business continues to grow robustly, we are cautious that clinics will return to pre-COVID volume levels in the second half of 2021. We have encountered unanticipated headwinds with the timing of Boards of Pharmacy regulatory approvals I described in our decision to withdraw from approximately 10 clinics between now and year end 2021. As a result, we are adjusting our full year net revenue guidance to be at least $21 million in full year net revenue compared to our previous guidance of $27 to $31 million. Excluding the one-time revenue recognition adjustment in 2020 associated with an old large customer agreement, We expect to grow over 100% this year and expect to maintain that growth rate in 2022, assuming the world returns to its pre-COVID levels in due course. Turning to gross margins, we experienced a reduction in gross margins from the same period of the prior year. The decrease in year-over-year margins is primarily due to a lower contribution from our pharmacy technology segments. The margin in our year over year retail pharmacy services segment was relatively flat. We continue to focus on improving our gross margins through the balance of 2021, driven by the initiatives we have previously discussed, such as continued reduction in the cost of delivery and improved procurement terms. Over the long term, our model is highly scalable and repeatable. as we expand to additional markets in new regions and within existing regions. You'll recall that our cost structure works to our advantage as we do not have to carry the overhead cost of the large retail store footprint that traditional pharmacy operations have. We remain excited to be entering the important Florida region in the second half of 2021 and believe this further demonstrates the highly scalable and repeatable nature of our business model and the potential for future growth in target markets across the U.S. In addition, as we have discussed previously, Texas remains a key market for our strategic clients and Medivale. We are pleased to announce that at the August 3rd Texas Board of Pharmacy meeting, permanent rules were passed that allow Medavail to widely deploy our proprietary med center technology throughout the state. In addition to the meaningful progress we have made on geographic expansion through our recent business development efforts, we are also pleased to announce new partnership opportunities in both our retail pharmacy services and pharmacy technology solution segments. We were recently honored to have been selected by Zip Drug, a wholly owned subsidiary of Anthem, to participate in their program, which connects Medicare Advantage patients with pharmacies who drive the best possible adherence for the lowest cost. Zip Drug solutions connect many consumers with chronic conditions to these high performing independent pharmacies that have a proven track record of providing impactful clinic care with higher patient adherence rates. In the Tucson area, where thousands of lives are covered by the PBM IngenioRx, SpotRx will be serving as Zip Drug's only preferred pharmacy. IngenioRx members in the Tucson area utilizing retail pharmacies considered to be low performing or out of network will be able to be connected by Zip Drug with SpotRx to transfer their medications should they wish to. SpotRx is also working with Zip Drug in Southern California as one of several preferred pharmacies. Our partnership with Zip Drug represents a significant milestone, underscoring our ability to meet important quality and performance thresholds to be selected as a partner pharmacy. Zip Drug's pharmacy network is currently available in a number of states, including California, Arizona, and Florida. We are looking forward to expanding our partnership with Zipdrug in the coming months. Turning to our pharmacy technology solution segment, we are delighted to announce that we have begun the integration of Epic's pharmacy system software with Medivale software. The Epic EHR integration will allow Epic customers to take advantage of the seamless integration with our MedCenter technology and deploy our proprietary technology in an expedited manner. The integration further enhances our pharmacy technology value proposition. Providence, one of the largest healthcare systems in the nation, has an initial agreement for five MedEvil med centers targeted to be deployed in late 2021 based upon the completion of the Epic EHR integration through its new technology agreement with MedEvil. In closing, we delivered another quarter of strong retail pharmacy services growth, and we remain focused on executing against the opportunities ahead. I would like to reiterate that excluding the one-time revenue recognition associated with a large customer agreement in 2020, we expect to deliver revenue growth in excess of 100% in 2021 and expect to maintain this top-line growth rate in 2022 given the demand we see for our offerings and our ongoing expansions into new geographies. With that, I'll now turn the call over to Brian to provide a review of our second quarter financial results.
Thank you, Ed. Turning to our Q2 results, net revenue for the three months ended June 30th, 2021 was $5 million. a 118% increase from $2.3 million in the same period of the prior year. These results were driven by a 162% increase in retail pharmacy services sales, which was partially offset by a 10% decline in our pharmacy technology sales. As we have indicated in the past, pharmacy technology sales can be variable from quarter to quarter due in large part to customer purchasing patterns. As Ed mentioned, during the second quarter, we deployed 12 med centers in the retail pharmacy services segment, compared to seven in the second quarter of 2020. Gross margin for the second quarter of 2021 was 3%, as compared to 19% in the corresponding prior year period. The decrease in our gross margin year over year is primarily due to less contribution from our pharmacy technology segment, noting the sale of seven med centers in Q2 2020 versus three in Q2 2021. Total operating expenses for the quarter of 2021 were $10.6 million. a 59% increase from $6.7 million in the second quarter of 2020. This expected increase in operating expenses was driven primarily by investments in personnel, facilities, and other expenses necessary for the continued build-out of our operating footprint, including the launch of operations in Florida. Additionally, we continue to make accelerated investments to automate additional workflows important to our customer service capabilities, including our investment in compliance packaging. Adjusted EBITDA, which we calculate by adding back interest expense, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, and exclude non-recurring expenses and other income to net loss. was a loss of $9.7 million in the second quarter of 2021, compared to a loss of $4.6 million in the second quarter of 2020, affecting the various initiatives and investments in growth you have heard us talk about. We ended the second quarter of 2021 with $48.7 million of cash and cash equivalents, we now have approximately 32.6 million shares of common stock outstanding, and we expect to have a weighted average share count for the third quarter of approximately 32.9 million shares. Turning to our outlook for 2021, we are now expecting at least $21 million in net revenue compared to our previous guidance of $27 to $31 million. As Ed mentioned, while we encountered some unanticipated headwinds from the timing of regulatory approvals and our decision to withdraw from 10 existing clinic sites before year-end 2021, we continue to anticipate 45 new in-clinic deployments this year. Regarding our gross margin outlook, we remain focused on improving our gross margins throughout the balance of 2021 as we continue to execute on the we had previously discussed. With that, I'll turn the call back over to Ed for closing comments.
Thank you, Brian. In closing, our unique pharmacy model continues to resonate in the market as we drive strong revenue growth. We are building upon key enterprise relationships and making meaningful progress on several business development and strategic partnership initiatives. These drivers, coupled with the tailwinds of value-based care initiatives in a large and rapidly growing Medicare population, provide long-term tailwinds to our business. I'd like to thank our partners, team members, and shareholders for their continued support as we work to transform the pharmacy market for patients and our partners. With that, we'll now open it up to questions. Operator?
Thank you. The first question comes from Charles Brie of Cohen. Charles, your line is open.
Yeah, thanks for taking the questions. Ed, you know, I want to talk about this, the 10 sites being kind of closed down here. You mentioned that when you did this review that they were not aligned with what, you know, your target model looks like. What is not aligned? Like what has changed at these sites? And that's made you decide to do that. And then secondly, you know, how often do you do these reviews or are you thinking of doing these reviews?
Thanks, Charles. So the 10 sites that we're looking at are sites that we've been into most of them for well over a year. We got into them in the midst of the COVID crisis. I would say, you know, when we looked at these sites, they have a mix of Medicare and commercial pay. The Medicare is more focused right now on a fee-for-service model. And quite frankly, as we look at the alignment of the fee-for-service model with what we provide and the benefits we provide. There wasn't the traction in those sites that we, quite frankly, require with the model that we're looking at in the growth per clinic. So that's what we decided to, when we looked at it, we decided to make that decision. Now, how frequently we do it, we're looking at the clinics obviously on a monthly basis, but as we said in the comments, that now that we've made this specific decision, that the sites that we have deployed and are deploying, we believe are very aligned with our model moving forward. A little bit of that's indicated by the 10 of the 12 sites we deployed in June are with clients that fit very well with our model.
Can I then follow up by asking, it sounds like you're saying these were sites that you went into last year during COVID. If you saw at that time that their mix was a lot of Medicare fee-for-service, why did you enter into these clinics?
Well, I mean, the belief at the time in working with the clients was that we could make it work. But as we got deeper into it with just the model, the way they operate the business, and I would just point to clinics that are running at risk or heavy Medicare advantage. They have management systems and incentives in place for their teams that are very aligned with what we do. The fee-for-service model in this case has a little more ability for the practitioners to be making their own decisions. You know, we really, as we look at our core type of customer, it's the customers we're expanding with right now, the Oak Streets, the Canos, the OptumCares, the CareMore. So that's where we believe and know that we fit extremely well.
Okay. And then when we look at the revenue change and the revenue guidance, obviously it's pretty significant here. You know, let's take the top end of the old range, so let's say $10 million. You know, if we were to break down that between the impact of the 10 sites that are being shut down and redeployed and then compare that with the delays in pharmacy board approvals, how would you break that split in sort of revenue impact?
I would say that when we look at it, Charles, what we see is of the approximate reduction that you're talking about, half of it is us staring at our clients returning back to pre-COVID volume levels over the back half and whether or not that's going to happen in the back half of the year. And the other half is associated with the clinic exits as well as the delays by the boards of pharmacy.
Okay. And then, you know, I think you said, right, you know, when you said 100% growth in 21, that is we're backing out the impact. We're backing out the 10 sites. So you're saying of your remaining sites, you know, we're seeing 100% growth in 21. And then I think I heard you say, you know, you expect 100% growth in 22. Is that just from those sites and doesn't include the impact of new sites coming online, or is that sort of what you're expecting for 22 overall?
We're saying that we expect for 22 that we will be growing at the same level. We are growing in 21, so in excess of 100%. And in 21, what we're saying is that when you look at our revenue from 20, which when we exclude the $4 million accounting adjustment we have in the revenue line, will more than grow 100% year to year from a net revenue perspective.
Okay, so then your comments around 22 is suggesting factoring that we're going to end the year with 45 deployments and and then whatever deployments we're going to have for next year as well?
Yes. We are.
Can I ask?
Sorry, go ahead.
No, no. I guess my question is, okay, so then when we think about Florida and then Texas, you know, is that because it takes a time for those sites? Obviously, Texas we're not really in yet, but in Florida – the time it takes to ramp up those sites. In that sense, is that more of a 23 benefit to the top line then? And then, you know, given the impact of COVID, particularly in Florida and Texas, is that having – are you seeing any delays in the deployments themselves, any kind of discussions, particularly, let's say, with Canoe and the other group that you have a contract with?
The – so – With regards to our Florida deployments, we plan right now, we're on track to go live late third quarter, early fourth quarter with the sites that we've talked about in Florida. And so as we've said, we remain optimistic about the openings in Florida in the back in the second half of this year. As far as contribution is concerned, There will be minimal contribution to the revenue this year for those sites because they're just going to be up for a handful of months in the year. And that's what we expect when we launch those types of sites. And in some of the states, as we talked about, we have eight to 12-week periods now. We have to wait for the Board of Pharmacy to do their on-site inspection before we can start dispensing medication and capturing customers. So that impacted the year. But certainly Kano and the other Florida sites that we deploy will have a positive impact to 2022. With regards to the COVID situation, I don't know what the impact could be. So, you know, as we said that we're cautiously optimistic that they'll return to pre-COVID levels in the back half of this year, but But, you know, we obviously can't forecast that with everything going on.
Okay. And maybe just one last clarification for me. So if the guidance is now we're expecting at least $21 million for 21, does your commentary, it basically implies we should expect for next year at least $42 million in revenue? Or am I not taking into account that $4 million?
We're not providing, you know, the 22 guidance yet. We expect next year to be growing at, you know, in excess of 100% as well, but we've not provided guidance for the year.
Okay. So you're saying in excess of, so at least 100%, but at this point there's no fixed number.
Correct.
Okay. Thanks. Appreciate it.
The next question comes from Frank Takanan of Lake Street. Frank, your line is open.
Hey, thanks for taking my questions. I wanted to start on site activity a little bit. Of the 12 sites that you deployed in the quarter, what portion of those are actively dispensing, given the pharmacy board delays? And then can you speak to the cadence of the
remaining 30 or so deployments in the back half of the year q3 versus q4 to get to your 45 guide um so thanks for the question frank with regards to the ones we deployed in early june right now we've got approximately half of those are dispensing or just started So very, very recently. And then the others are still to be done. With regards to the quarterly deployments, we haven't broken out the quarterly deployments for the back half of the year. But as we said, we remain committed to deploying 45 new sites in 2021. And we have talked about... That makes sense. to know and access health that we will be going live late 3, 2, and early 4 with those sites as we move into Florida.
Got it. That's helpful. And then thinking about when you did the deep dive on the current med centers out there, any change in your thought process to the core med center clinics, not the 10 that are being closed down, but the other clinics on their potential to get to that million per med center run rate that we've spoken to in previous calls?
Um, no, uh, no change, uh, in, in the sites where we see, we've got a very, uh, close alignment. Uh, you know, we see that the million dollars per clinic as a very achievable for our business. And then that's what we're executing too.
Got it. Okay. And then I just wanted to ask one a little bit more broadly speaking, just about the model in general, obviously a little bit of a noisy quarter, quite a few moving pieces, but just wanted to rehash your thinking. I mean, you talked a lot of it in the closing remarks, but just wanted you to kind of think through the model with us and given all the learnings that you've experienced with the COVID year, pharmacy operations board, some of the non-core med centers that are closing and, Has your long-term idea of the model changed fundamentally at all, or is this more of a speed bump reset and then start to build on the MedCenter base more meaningfully in 2022 and get to a more normalized strategy execution?
Our view of the model has not changed. As I mentioned in the call, demand for the solution is extremely strong. We're expanding with chains and clinics that are a great fit with our model. We're delivering on our commitment around better adherence scores and high levels of satisfaction. So the answer is absolutely not. Have not changed. In fact, if anything, we've strengthened. We did need to make a decision on a set of clinics that quite frankly when we look at them we were putting a lot of resources into driving them but long term it just wasn't going to be a fit in our view and we just have too much demand in other places that we wanted to reallocate those resources got it okay that's helpful that's all for me thanks guys
We have no further questions, so I'll hand the call back to Frank. Apologies. I'll hand the call back to Ed to conclude with closing remarks.
Thank you, operator. And thanks, everyone, for joining us today. And have a great evening.