Aegerion Pharmaceuticals Announces Reduction in Workforce as Part of Cost Reduction Plan

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 11, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEGR), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for patients with debilitating rare diseases, today announced that it is reducing approximately 25% percent of its global workforce. The reduction in force includes positions in all major departments. This reduction in force is part of a broad program taken by Aegerion to significantly reduce its operating expenses and extend its cash position as JUXTAPID® (lomitapide capsules) sales in the U.S. are impacted by the introduction of competitive therapies.  

Aegerion expects to complete the reduction in force, and to substantially complete the payment of employee severance and other related costs, by the end of the second quarter of 2016.

"One of Aegerion's most important assets is its talented and dedicated team of employees, and this reduction in our workforce is a difficult but necessary step towards strengthening the Company financially," said Chief Executive Officer Mary Szela. "We believe this action better aligns the Company's resources with our current strategy and market opportunity for JUXTAPID and our goal of continuing to grow MYALEPT® (metreleptin for injection) sales, supports our objective to create a pipeline of therapies to treat patients with rare diseases, and positions us to maximize the value of our assets for our shareholders. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to those employees affected by today's announcement for their dedication and many contributions to Aegerion."

Following the workforce reduction, Aegerion expects to have approximately 230 employees globally.

About Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Aegerion Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for patients with debilitating rare diseases.  For more information about the company, please visit www.aegerion.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding our expectations about JUXTAPID's market opportunity, MYALEPT sales, the financial aspects of the restructuring and maximizing the value of our assets for stockholders.   These forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees of future performance, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. In particular, the risks and uncertainties include, among others: the savings that result from the restructuring will be less than we expect; the restructuring charges will be higher than we expect; the risk that market acceptance of JUXTAPID and MYALEPT in the U.S. may not continue at the levels we expect, and may be lower outside the U.S. than we expect; the risk that the conversion of prescriptions for JUXTAPID or MYALEPT into patients on therapy may be lower than we expect or the drop-out rate may be higher than we currently expect; the risk that the prevalence of the diseases our products treat may be lower than our estimates, and that it may be more difficult to identify patients than we expect; the risk that the side effect profile or other results for our products in commercial use and in further clinical studies are inconsistent, in scope and severity, with the side effect profile and other results observed in the pivotal study of each drug; the risk that the negative impact of launch of PCSK9 inhibitors on JUXTAPID sales will be greater than we expect, particularly in the U.S. where the negative impact has been greater than we expected to date, or that other competitive products will negatively impact our results; the risk that private or government payers may refuse to reimburse our product, or may impose onerous restrictions that hinder reimbursement or significantly limit or cap the price we charge or the number of reimbursed patients who receive our products; the risk that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration may require revisions to the JUXTAPID Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) Program that may negatively impact our U.S. sales; the risk that our business may be negatively impacted if there are more Medicaid patients prescribed MYALEPT than we expect; the risk that named patient sales in Brazil and other key countries outside the U.S. may not be at the levels we expect; the risk that regulatory authorities in countries where either of our products is not yet approved may not be satisfied with the efficacy or safety profile of the product or the sufficiency of the data from our pivotal trials and therefore will refuse to approve such products or additional indications for such products; the risk that we do not receive approval for each of our products in additional countries on a timely basis, or at all, or that regulatory authorities impose significant restrictions on approval or require additional development; the risk that exchange rates will negatively impact the amount of net product sales recognized; the risk that technical hurdles may delay initiation of future clinical trials; the risk that we will not be successful in our label expansion, lifecycle management, regulatory filing or business development efforts; the risk that our patent portfolio and marketing and data exclusivity may not be as strong as we anticipate; the risk of unexpected manufacturing issues affecting future supply; the risk of an enforcement action or settlement with the government, which we expect is a probable result of the ongoing DOJ and SEC investigations, and the timing and terms thereof;  the risks associated with the unpredictable nature, timing and resolution of government investigations, and the impact of such investigations on our business; the risk that we incur more costs than we expect in responding to investigations and defending ourselves in litigation and in connection with any settlement entered into in connection with these investigations; the risk that Silicon Valley Bank will accelerate our long-term debt as a result of our breach of certain covenants under our loan agreement with Silicon Valley Bank; the risk that any of the foregoing may cause product sales revenue to be lower than we expect, or that we may incur unanticipated expenses in connection with our activities; and the other risks inherent in the commercialization, drug development and regulatory approval process. For additional disclosure regarding these and other risks we face, see the disclosure contained in the "Risk Factors" section of Aegerion's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on November 9, 2015, and our other public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, available on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. We undertake no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.

Investors and others should note that we communicate with our investors and the public using our company website (www.aegerion.com) and our investor relations website (http://ir.aegerion.com), including but not limited to company disclosures; investor presentations and FAQs; Securities and Exchange Commission filings; press releases; public conference calls and webcasts. The information that we post on these websites could be deemed to be material information. As a result, we encourage investors, the media, and others interested to review the information that we post there on a regular basis. The contents of our website shall not be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933.

CONTACT:
Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.                                                        
Amanda Murphy, Associate Director, Investor & Public Relations                                 
857-242-5024  
[email protected]