Melville, NY, 11 May 2007:
FONAR Corporation (NASDAQ-FONR),
The Inventor of MR Scanning™, announced its
financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2007, which ended March
31, 2007.
For the nine-month period ended March 31,
2007, we reported a net loss of $17.0 million on revenues of $24.2 million
as compared to net loss of $21.0 million on revenues of $27.8 million for
the nine-month period ended March 31, 2006.
For the three month period ended March 31,
2007 we reported a net loss of $5.4 million on revenues of $8.8 million as
compared to net loss of $7.4 million on revenues of $7.1 million for the
three-month period ended March 31, 2006.
Net loss and revenue for the quarter ending
March 31, 2007 as compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2006. Net losses
improved by 26.6%, ($5.4 million) as compared to ($7.4 million), on a
revenue increase of 23.6% to $8.8 million from $7.1 million. Particularly
noteworthy was that the revenues for the quarter ending March 31, 2007
accounted for 36.2% of the revenues of the nine-month period ending March
31, 2007.
There was recent increased sales activity
which management believes is attributable to a general increase in the
utilization of MRI and the increase in demand for UPRIGHT™
MRI scans, and the reduction of uncertainty of the impact of the Deficit
Reduction Act (“DRA”). A
recent survey of FONAR UPRIGHT™ MRI customers
shows the DRA has not had a substantial impact on revenues and has been more
than offset by an increase in utilization of MRI and the UPRIGHT™
imaging technology.
During the third fiscal 2007 quarter, total
product sale revenues were $3.2 million, an increase of 91% from $1.7
million one year earlier. The nine-month total product sales for the quarter
ending March 31, 2007 was $7.8 million as compared to $10.0 million for the
same period one year earlier.
Service and repair revenues for the third
fiscal 2007 quarter increased 10% to $2.6 million from $2.3 million during
the same quarter of fiscal 2006. For the nine-month period ending March 31,
2007 there was a 18% increase to $7.5 million from $6.3 million for the same
period one year earlier. These increases are due to the result and
initiation of service contract agreements from recent installations of FONAR
UPRIGHT ™ Multi-Position™
MRI units.
During the third fiscal quarter total costs
related to service and repair fees were $1.3 million as compared to $1.4
million one year earlier. Also for the nine-month period total costs related
to service and repair fees were $3.9 million as compared to $4.2 million one
year earlier. As of March 31, 2007, there were 118 FONAR UPRIGHT™
Multi-Position™ MRI units installed worldwide.
At March 31, 2007, total assets were $48.5
million, total current assets were $30.2 million, total cash and marketable
securities were $5.8 million, total current liabilities were $29.2 million,
and total long-term liabilities were $1.3 million.
Dr. Raymond Damadian, president and chairman
of FONAR, said, “the future of UPRIGHT™
Multi-Position™ Full Range of Motion™
MRI is more exciting than ever. Unique medical applications for UPRIGHT™
Multi-Position™ imaging arise continuously. A
very important example is FONAR’s new development
of scanning protocols for scoliosis. According to a National Cancer
Institute study published in 2000, women with scoliosis have a 90% higher
incidence of developing breast cancer than non-scoliotic women, the apparent
cause being the repeated multiple chest X-rays over many years required for
scoliosis treatment and treatment monitoring. Upright, full weight-bearing
chest X-rays are mandatory to evaluate scoliosis. UPRIGHT™
MRI meets the scoliosis need for upright imaging without the radiation and
without the risk of engendering breast cancers. The estimated number of
children in North America with scoliosis is 1.5 million, a number which does
not include scoliosis patients above age 18, which raise the number with
scoliosis to 3.0 million.”
"MRI scans for the detection of silicone
breast implant leaks is another new application of UPRIGHT™
MRI,” continued Dr. Damadian.
“Silicon implants for breast augmentation were only recently
reinstated by the FDA in November 2006. The FDA recommends that MRI scans be
performed for leakage detection at year 1 and year 2, and alternate years
thereafter for 8 more years. Cosmetic surgeons deem it important that these
scans be done upright to optimize the detection of implant leaks. Pooling of
implant material when the breast is gravity-dependent and pendant is
perceived to be the most sensitive means for image detection of leakage.
There is concern that when the breast is recumbent redistribution of leakage
material may undermine detection. There are currently in excess of 1.65
million women in the U.S. with breast implants. Under the new FDA leakage
monitoring recommendations, 1.65 million women would require MRI
examinations annually for each of the first two years and then every other
year thereafter.”
“The current
installed base of FONAR UPRIGHT™ MRI scanners
(118) operating at maximum capacity,” added Dr.
Damadian, “can accomplish only 614,000 of the
needed 1.65 million MRI scans in each of the first two years recommended by
the FDA and of the needed 1.65 million scans on alternate years thereafter,
even if these scanners were performing MRI breast examinations exclusively.”
“Whiplash injuries
of the neck also require UPRIGHT™ Multi-Position™
Full Range of Motion™ evaluation of the disks,
ligaments, neck musculature, vertebra and spinal cord for a satisfactory
assessment of the neck injury,” said Dr. Damadian.
“There are currently 1,000,000 motor vehicle
whiplash injuries of the neck occurring annually.”
Dr. Damadian continued, “Patients
with Chiari syndrome, in which the brain, for lack of sufficient connective
tissue support, descends into the foramen magnum (opening) at the base of
the skull when the patient is upright, require UPRIGHT™
MR imaging. The “drop attacks”
that occur in this syndrome are characterized by a sudden episode of
muscular paralysis and a concurrent “falling to
the ground” when the patient is upright. The
actual pathology initiating the “drop attack”
can only therefore be visualized with the patient in the same posture that
prompts the “attack”.
Consequently, Chiari patients require examination in the FONAR UPRIGHT™
MRI to achieve the images necessary to assess the extent of Chiari
malformation. The current estimate of the number of Chiari cases in the U.S.
is 300,000. This number is believed to be underestimated by as much as
200,000 Chiari 1 malformations now thought to occur annually, secondary to
motor vehicle whiplash injuries.”
“Such applications
continue to arise without limit. Moreover, they are in addition to the
already existing extensive musculoskeletal applications in the spine wherein
1,000,000 spine surgeries are performed annually and where UPRIGHT™
weight-bearing Multi-Position™ imaging prior to
surgery will ultimately be mandatory to prevent incorrect surgery.
Additionally, there are 9,000,000 MRI scans of the spine performed annually
in the U.S. that are destined to become UPRIGHT™
Multi-Position™ MRI scans so that accurate
identification of the patient’s symptom
generating spine pathology can be achieved. And ultimately the extensive
cardio-vascular applications of UPRIGHT™
Multi-Position™ imaging are destined to come into
use, e.g. UPRIGHT™ imaging of cerebral blood flow
prior to surgical vascular repair, and UPRIGHT™
imaging of lower extremities varicosities prior to surgery. Additionally, a
little over 1,000,000 cardiac surgeries are performed annually in the U.S.
Such patients will benefit substantially from UPRIGHT™
MRI imaging of coronary blood flow prior to deciding between the various
corrective alternatives, e.g. bypass, stents, and angioplasty,”
said Dr. Damadian. “These are but a few of the
clinical conditions that are undiagnosable without upright scanning that
have been brought to FONAR’s attention since the
introduction to the medical community by FONAR of UPRIGHT™
Multi-Position™ MRI technology.”
|
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS |
|
|
| |
|
For the Three Months |
|
For the
Nine Months |
| |
|
Ended March 31, |
|
Ended March 31, |
| |
|
|
2007 |
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2007 |
|
|
2006 |
|
Revenues |
|
$ |
8,782,000 |
|
$ |
7,103,000 |
|
$ |
24,237,000 |
|
$ |
27,797,000 |
|
Net Loss |
|
$ |
(5,401,000) |
|
$ |
(7,357,000) |
|
$ |
(16,976,000) |
|
$ |
(21,031,000) |
|
Basic & Diluted Loss |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
per Common Share |
|
$ |
(1.11) |
|
$ |
(1.65) |
|
$ |
(3.52) |
|
$ |
(4.80) |
The Inventor of MR Scanning™,
Full Range of Motion™, STAND-UP™,
UPRIGHT™, Multi-Position™,
pMRI™, True Flow™, and
The Proof is in the Picture™ are trademarks of
FONAR Corporation.
Be sure to visit FONAR’s
Web site for Company product and investor information:
www.fonar.com
This release may include forward-looking
statements from the company that may or may not materialize. Additional
information on factors that could potentially affect the company's financial
results may be found in the company filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.