Spectral AI(MDAI) - 2023 Q4 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics - Q4 2023 R&D revenue was $5.3M, down from$ 6.1M in Q4 2022, reflecting reduced activity as the BARDA Burn 2 contract neared completion [27] - Full-year 2023 R&D revenue was $18.1M, a 28.8% decrease from$ 25.4M in 2022, due to the wind-down of the BARDA Burn 2 contract [30] - Gross margin in Q4 2023 rose to 46.1% from 41.1% in Q4 2022, driven by higher reimbursement rates under the new BARDA PBS contract [29] - Full-year 2023 gross margin increased to 43.6% from 42.7% in 2022, despite a decrease in gross profit, due to the higher reimbursement rate under the BARDA PBS contract [31] - As of December 31, 2023, cash and cash equivalents totaled $4.8M, with no long-term debt [34] Business Line Data and Key Metrics - The DeepView System for burn wounds has a clinically validated accuracy of 92% [6] - The company received a$ 150M multiyear nondilutive contract from the U.S. government under Project BioShield, with an initial award of $54.9M to fund R&D through Q1 2026 [18] - Enrollment for the pivotal study to validate the DeepView System for burn wounds commenced in January 2024, with a target of 240 subjects, including both adult and pediatric patients [19] - The company received UKCA authorization to commence sales of the DeepView System for burn in the UK in February 2024, with the first device deployed in March 2024 [20] - A new$ 500K contract was awarded in March 2024 to support the development of the handheld version of the DeepView System, bringing total nondilutive support for this project to over $6M [21] Market Data and Key Metrics - There are approximately 125 burn centers in the U.S., making them a limited and scattered resource [7] - The company expects to generate commercial revenues across four platforms (burn in the U.S. and UK, and diabetic foot ulcer in the U.S. and UK) by 2026 [22] - The company has 20 allowed U.S. and international patents and 34 pending patents, with key patent protection exceeding 14 years [23] Company Strategy and Industry Competition - The company aims to integrate the DeepView System into the clinical treatment flow at emergency departments, hospitals, burn centers, and clinics for both diabetic foot ulcers and burn wounds [17] - The DeepView System is designed to provide immediate and accurate wound care assessment, reducing pain and suffering for patients and improving resource allocation for institutions [5][6][7] - The company formed a wholly-owned subsidiary, Spectral IP, to focus on developing or acquiring IP applicable to the broader AI ecosystem within healthcare, with a$ 1M investment from an affiliate of its largest shareholder [24] Management Commentary on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - The company expects 2024 revenue guidance of approximately $28M, a 55% increase from 2023, driven by the BARDA PBS contract and contributions from the handheld contract [38] - The company believes its financial agreements and nondilutive funding from U.S. government contracts provide a sound financial foundation to pursue strategic objectives [38] - Management is optimistic about future growth, with plans to submit regulatory filings for the approval of the DeepView System for burn in the U.S. in 2025 and for diabetic foot ulcer in the U.S. and UK later in 2024 [22] Other Important Information - The company has a clinical database with over 340 billion clinically validated data points, supporting the DeepView System's AI algorithm [12] - The DeepView System is expected to reduce the typical stay in a burn center by up to 3 days, a 37.5% reduction [14] - The company has a well-defined business focus for 2024 and beyond, prioritizing research, development, and clinical activities while driving commercialization efforts [17] Q&A Session Summary Question: Initial impressions of the UK market and adoption expectations - The company has deployed two devices in the UK, with positive initial feedback on ease of use and reduced complexity compared to existing tools [43] - Five to six more locations are lined up for deployment, with commercial arrangements expected after a period of field validation [44] Question: Impact of incremental capital on development acceleration - The company believes its financial resources will support operations well into 2025, allowing for increased hiring and accelerated activity [47] Question: Progress on the burn trial and enrollment efficiency - Enrollment for the burn trial is between 5% and 10%, with expectations to have nearly half of the sites fully engaged by the end of April [51] - The trial includes a commitment to enroll at least 25% pediatric participants, potentially up to 40% [52] Question: Details on the UK launch, including staffing and system deployment - The company has a small team in the UK and does not anticipate significant staffing increases to support initial deployments [55] - Devices are manufactured in the U.S., with a biomedical, clinician, and sales resource in the UK [56] Question: Allocation of the$ 55M BARDA funding and billing process - The company bills the U.S. government monthly for R&D expenses, with payments typically received within a few weeks [60] - The funding covers clinical trial costs, including overhead [61][62] Question: Regulatory hurdles for broader expansion in the UK - The UKCA mark allows for UK-wide deployment, with no significant additional regulatory hurdles [65] Question: Revenue structure for the DeepView System - Revenue includes device sales, annual license fees for the AI, and service/maintenance components [66] - The AI model is updated annually, with a robust dataset of 340 billion data points [69][70] Question: Potential for Middle East market expansion and 2024 margin expectations - The company is actively pursuing opportunities in the Middle East, leveraging the UKCA mark for regulatory access [78] - Margins for 2024 are expected to be consistent with Q4 2023, potentially slightly higher due to the BARDA PBS contract [79][80]