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Boston Biomedica Reports Third Quarter Financial Results

WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass., Oct. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Boston Biomedica, Inc. (Nasdaq: BBII) today announced that revenue from continuing operations for the three months ended September 30, 2002 was $5,875,972, an increase of $467,332 or 8.6%, compared with revenue from continuing operations of $5,408,640 for the three months ended September 30, 2001.  Loss from continuing operations for the quarter ended September 30, 2002 was $(567,178), or $(0.08) per diluted share, compared with a loss from continuing operations of $(210,672), or $(0.03) per diluted share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2001.  For the third quarter of 2002, the Company showed income of $225,000 or $0.03 per diluted share due to a revised estimate of the gain on the sale of its clinical laboratory business in the first quarter of 2001.  These results are reported as discontinued operations.  In summary, net loss from both continuing and discontinued operations amounted to $(342,178) or $(0.05) per diluted share for the third quarter ended September 30, 2002.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2002, the Company reported revenue of $16,685,182, an increase of $794,378 or 5.0% compared with revenue of $15,890,804 for the nine months ended September 30, 2001.  Loss from continuing operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2002 was $(1,747,937) compared with a loss from continuing operations of $(659,279) for the nine months ended September 30, 2001.  Results of operations for the nine- month periods ended September 30, 2002 and September 30, 2001 reflect the Company's decision in late 2000 to exit the clinical laboratory business.  The results of the clinical laboratory business, reported as discontinued operations, showed income of $225,000 or $0.03 per diluted share in the first nine months of 2002 as discussed above, as compared to income of $3,964,498 or $0.64 per share in the first nine months of 2001, resulting primarily from the gain on the sale of the clinical laboratory business in February 2001.  Net loss for the first nine months of 2002, from both continuing and discontinued operations, was $(1,522,937), or $(0.23) per share, versus net income of $3,305,219, or $0.53 per share, in the first nine months of 2001.

Third quarter revenue increased 8.6%, driven primarily by strong activity in two service contracts related to HIV vaccine development and Hepatitis C. This was partially offset by disappointing product revenue, caused primarily by postponed and cancelled orders as the current economic downturn in the IVD industry hurt our customers' test kit sales and new test development.  The result was an unfavorable mix shift that adversely impacted gross margin and operating performance.  Nonetheless we remain encouraged as we released several important new products during the quarter, including an Accurun multi- marker control for viral nucleic acid testing performed in blood banks, as well as a much anticipated HIV drug resistant mutants positive control -- the first commercially available quality control product of its kind in an important new area of monitoring for AIDS patients, said Kevin W. Quinlan, President and Chief Operating Officer of Boston Biomedica, Inc.  In addition, we achieved our goal to release our first PCT-based product -- the PCT Sample Preparation System -- during the quarter.  To do so, we increased spending in our PCT program by more than $220,000 in Q3 2002 verses Q3 2001.  We are optimistic that this novel System will have a positive impact on our future results.  In the meantime, as a result of our continuing losses, we have implemented a number of cost cutting measures and are evaluating additional steps to enable the Company to return to profitability in the very near future.

Through the efforts of our staff at all three business units, we were able to meet our publicly stated goal of releasing the PCT Sample Preparation System before the end of Q3, said Richard T. Schumacher, Founder, CEO and Chairman of BBI.  We believe the PCT SPS is faster, more reproducible, more versatile, more powerful, and safer than other sample preparation methods currently available for hard-to-lyse materials, and that it will find widespread acceptance in genomics and proteomics laboratories worldwide.  We realize this acceptance will take time, as it requires a paradigm shift away from manual, less versatile, and less safe methods that are often used today. However, the data being generated in our laboratories and the laboratories of our independent Beta Site investigators have convinced us that our optimism is well-founded, and have given us added confidence of our future success.

BBI provides products and services to the life sciences industry to evaluate, monitor, and ensure the quality of infectious disease test results, to improve the preparation of specimens for genomic/proteomic testing, and to safely store and retrieve rare and valuable biological specimens.  We also manufacture reagents used in test kits and provide a broad range of routine and esoteric research services to governments and industry.  BBI operates in three states, and conducts research in new applications for our patented Pressure Cycling Technology (PCT).  In 2000, we launched Panacos Pharmaceuticals, and the Company maintains a significant passive investment in this novel antiviral drug development company.

Statements contained in this news release that state the Company's or management's intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations or predictions of the future are forward-looking statements.  It is important to note that the Company's actual results could differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements.  Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those projected include the possibility that due to difficulties in the implementation of its strategies, Boston Biomedica may not be successful in commercializing the PCT Sample Preparation System, or such activities may take longer, or may require more financial, technical, and marketing resources than currently expected.  If so, the Company may not have the resources necessary to develop additional products in PCT, or to improve upon existing products. Pressure Cycling Technology may also not be adaptable to any other commercially viable applications, certain Pressure Cycling Technology applications may not fall within the claims of the Company's eight issued US patents, and individuals and groups utilizing such PCT procedures may not be required to license such technology from BBI.  The financial results for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2002 are not necessarily indicative of future results.  Future revenue may not meet expectations due to changes in customer needs and technological innovations.  Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements is contained from time to time in the Company's SEC filings, including but not limited to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001 and the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31st and June 30th, 2002.  Copies of these and other documents may be obtained by contacting the Company or the SEC.

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    Investor Contacts:                       Media Contact:

Richard T. Schumacher, CEO & Chairman   Jennifer Viera

     Kevin W. Quinlan, President & COO       Schneider & Associates
     Boston Biomedica, Inc.                  (617) 536-3300 (T)
     (508) 580-1900 (T)                      jviera@schneiderpr.com

(508) 580-1110 (F)

BOSTON BIOMEDICA, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(unaudited)

                                Three Months Ended       Nine Months Ended
                                  September 30,            September 30,
                                 2002        2001        2002         2001

REVENUE:

         Products             $2,868,300  $3,400,879   $9,431,905  $9,843,142
         Services              3,007,672   2,007,761    7,253,277   6,047,662
    Total revenue              5,875,972   5,408,640   16,685,182  15,890,804

COSTS AND EXPENSES:

    Cost of products           1,542,111   1,635,467    4,832,634   4,737,413
    Cost of services           2,315,721   1,570,748    5,571,661   4,718,505

Research and development     708,284     536,823    2,097,083   1,578,309

    Selling and marketing        803,956     752,817    2,534,297   2,193,781

General and

     administrative            1,016,087   1,070,121    3,242,397   2,980,358

Total operating costs and

     expenses                  6,386,159   5,565,976   18,278,072  16,208,366

Operating (loss) from

continuing operations      (510,187)   (157,336)  (1,592,890)   (317,562)

    Interest income                9,966      12,513       34,744      49,207
    Interest expense             (66,957)    (65,849)    (189,791)   (375,245)

(Loss) from continuing

operations before income

     taxes                      (567,178)   (210,672)  (1,747,937)   (643,600)

Provision for income

     taxes                             -           -            -     (15,679)

(Loss) from continuing

     operations                $(567,178)  $(210,672) $(1,747,937)  $(659,279)

Discontinued operations

Income from discontinued

operations of Clinical

Laboratory Segment, net

     of income taxes             225,000           -      225,000   3,964,498
    Net (loss) income          $(342,178)  $(210,672) $(1,522,937) $3,305,219

(Loss)  from continuing

operations per share,

     basic & diluted              $(0.08)     $(0.03)      $(0.26)     $(0.11)

Income per share from

discontinued operations,

     basic & diluted               $0.03        $-          $0.03       $0.64

Net (loss) income per

     share, basic & diluted       $(0.05)     $(0.03)      $(0.23)      $0.53

Number of shares used to

calculate net (loss)

income

    per share,  basic          6,782,175   6,074,180    6,618,338   6,231,891

Number of shares used to

calculate net (loss)

income

    per share,  diluted        6,782,175   6,074,180    6,618,338   6,231,891

CONSOLIDATED SUMMARY BALANCE SHEETS

(unaudited)

September 30,      December 31,

                                                   2002              2001
    Current assets                             $13,413,715       $13,870,848
    Property, plant and equipment, net           6,181,016         6,533,671
    Other non-current assets                       962,375         1,009,735
          Total assets                         $20,557,106       $21,414,254
    Accounts payable and accrued expenses       $4,084,248        $3,181,201
    Debt                                         2,424,105         2,484,890
    Other liabilities                              601,792           621,304

Net liabilities from discontinued

     operations                                    854,848         1,686,547
          Total liabilities                      7,964,993         7,973,942
    Stockholders' equity                        12,592,113        13,440,312

Total liabilities and

           stockholders' equity                $20,557,106       $21,414,254

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SOURCE  Boston Biomedica, Inc.

    -0-                             10/24/2002

/CONTACT:  Richard T. Schumacher, CEO & Chairman, or Kevin W. Quinlan, President & COO, both of Boston Biomedica, Inc., +1-508-580-1900; or Jennifer Viera of Schneider & Associates, +1-617-536-3300, jviera@schneiderpr.com/

/Web site:  http://www.bbii.com/

(BBII)

CO:  Boston Biomedica, Inc.
ST:  Massachusetts
IN:  MTC BIO
SU:  ERN

EO-CR
-- NETH019 --
2685 10/24/2002 12:27 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com

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