ZymoGenetics' 1st-qtr loss widens 22.8%

Seattle, USA-based ZymoGenetics' first-quarter 2008 net loss totaled $70.9 million, or $0.60 per share, versus $33.0 million, or $0.49 per share, in the comparable period the year before, reflecting marketing costs associated with the US launch of Recothrom Thrombin, topical (recombinant), the company's first commercial product, which was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration at the start of the year (Marketletter January 28).

Revenues for the quarter were $13.5 million vs $5.2 million resulting from income related to the Recothrom collaboration with German drugmaker Bayer HealthCare, milestone payments with respect to interleukin-20 and recombinant factor XIII, as well as initial sales of Recothrom, which totaled $1.0 million.