Nutrition 21, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXXI), Purchase, N.Y.,a leading
developer and marketer of chromium-based and omega-3 fish oil- based
nutritional supplements, has announced financial results for the fourth
quarter and fiscal year ended June 30, 2007. The delay in reporting
since announcing preliminary results on August 13, 2007 was due to the
additional time needed to complete a $17.75 million financing on
September 10, 2007 as well as the time needed to meet year-end financial
and Sarbanes-Oxley audit requirements.
Revenues for the fourth quarter were $12.0 million, compared to
$2.5 million for the comparable period a year ago. Net loss for the
fourth quarter of fiscal year ended June 30, 2007 was $8.2 million or
$0.13 loss per diluted share compared to a $3.7 million or $0.9 loss per
diluted share in the 2006 period. For the fiscal year ended June 30,
2007, Nutrition 21 reported total revenues of $42.1 million compared to
$10.7 million in fiscal year 2006. Net loss for fiscal year 2007 was
$19.1 million or $0.33 loss per diluted share, compared to a net loss of
$10.3 million or $0.26 loss per diluted share for the prior fiscal year.
Revenues in the fourth quarter were negatively impacted by a $1.8
million return of Selenomax[R] by a national retailer who had made a
one-time $2.6 million purchase in the third quarter. In August,
Nutrition 21 entered into an agreement to sell the returned inventory to
a third party for $1.7 million in barter credits that the company
expects to use in fiscal 2008. The net loss for the year includes a
one-time net charge of $1.4 million in the fourth quarter due to the
return of Selenomax, as well as a $0.7 million non-cash impairment
charge for intangibles.
In general, the net loss for the quarter and the year reflects the
investment and commitment made to transition from a research and
development-focused company primarily selling chromium picolinate as an
ingredient, to a sales and marketing-driven company selling branded
consumer products targeting the growing age and weight- related health
needs, including diabetes, cardiovascular health, obesity, joint health,
cognitive function and mental health.
As previously announced, the activities and investments made during
the fiscal year include:
Adding key members to our retail sales, marketing and distribution
team;
Conducting pre-market activities associated with launching ChromaX,
Iceland Health Omega-3, Iceland Health Joint Relief and Diachrome into
the retail channel. These activities include market research, focus
groups, web site development, collateral development, as well as
developing integrated marketing programs, such as PR, print and radio
advertisements;
Acquiring Iceland Health, Inc. on August 25, 2006, and integrating
its established line of Omega-3 products promoting cardiovascular and
joint health. The acquisition also provides us with direct-to-consumer
marketing and sales capabilities, allowing us to effectively leverage
television infomercials, print, radio, direct mail, and Internet
e-commerce;
Expanding the company's direct response operations by adding
new call centers; developing new marketing and sales programs in
Spanish; producing and launching a 30-minute infomercial for Chromax and
developing line extensions for the Iceland Health franchise that will
launch in the fall of 2007;
Testing and refining radio and print media campaigns for the
products that Nutrition 21 currently sells at retail. Completing
research and development for Core4Life Advanced Memory Formula, a
nutritional supplement for promoting cognitive function. The company
recently completed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled,
clinical trial evaluating recall performance and brain activity using
MRI scans. Nutrition 21 has filed a patent covering this product; and
Preparing for the fall 2007 launch of Core4Life Advanced Memory Formula
and the launch of Diabetes Essentials, a line of nutritional supplements
for people with type-2 diabetes. Major retailers and key regional
retailers have already placed purchase orders for both products.
Paul Intlekofer, Nutrition 21's president and CEO, said,
"We now have a diverse portfolio of best-in-class products,
extensive marketing capabilities, strong relationships with our retail
distributors and an experienced staff. Excluding the one-time sale and
return of Selenomax, we have grown revenues in each of the last four
quarters. The investments we made during this past year and the recent
$17.75 million financing will enable us to continue to build our brands
and to position us to be able to generate sustainable growth over the
next few years."
About Nutrition 21
Nutrition 21 is a nutritional bioscience company and the maker of
chromium picolinate-based and omega-3 fish oil-based supplements with
health benefits substantiated by clinical research. Nutrition 21 holds
over 30 patents for nutrition products and uses. The company markets
Chromax chromium picolinate, which is the most-studied form of the
essential mineral chromium. Chromax, a supplement for healthy and
pre-diabetic people that promotes insulin health and helps improve blood
sugar metabolism, cardiovascular health, control cravings and fight
weight gain, is now available through food, drug and mass retailers
nationwide. Another chromium picolinate-based supplement developed and
marketed by Nutrition 21 is Diachrome[R], a proprietary,
non-prescription, insulin sensitizer for people with type 2 diabetes. It
is sold in select drug retailers nationwide. The company omega-3 fatty
acids, which are manufactured to pharmaceutical standards and sold under
the Iceland Health brand.
For more information, visit http://www.nutrition21.com or call
914/701-4525.
COPYRIGHT 2007 Worldwide
Videotex Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.
Copyright 2007, Gale Group. All rights
reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.
NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.