Seres Therapeutics Announces Receipt of Expected $50 Million Installment Payment Related to VOWST Sale

Rhea-AI Summary

Seres Therapeutics (MCRB) has received a $50 million installment payment from Nestlé Health Science, related to the previously announced sale of its VOWST business. This payment was received as planned, with Seres meeting its transition obligations. The company anticipates an additional $25 million installment payment (less approximately $1.5M in employment-related payments) from Nestlé Health Science in July 2025. Based on current cash position, including these payments and considering transaction-related obligations and operating plans, Seres expects to maintain operational funding into the first quarter of 2026.

Positive

• Receipt of significant $50M installment payment strengthening cash position
• Additional $25M payment expected in July 2025
• Cash runway extended into Q1 2026

Negative

• Future installment payment subject to $1.5M reduction for employment-related payments

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: MCRB) (Seres or the Company), a leading live biotherapeutics company, announced today the receipt of a $50 million installment payment related to the Company’s previously announced sale of its VOWST business to Société des Produits Nestlé S.A (SPN, and with certain of its affiliates, collectively, Nestlé Health Science). This installment payment was expected as Seres is fulfilling its transition obligations.

As previously announced, based on the Company’s existing cash, inclusive of this payment, a projected installment payment from Nestlé Health Science in July 2025 of $25 million (less up to approximately $1.5M in employment-related payments to Nestlé Health Science), transaction-related obligations and current operating plans, the Company expects to fund operations into the first quarter of 2026.

About Seres Therapeutics 
Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: MCRB) is a clinical-stage company focused on improving patient outcomes in medically vulnerable populations through novel live biotherapeutics. Seres led the successful development and approval of VOWST™, the first FDA-approved orally administered microbiome therapeutic, which was sold to Nestlé Health Science in September 2024. The Company is developing SER-155, which has received both Breakthrough Therapy and Fast Track designation, and which has demonstrated a significant reduction in bloodstream infections and related complications (as compared to placebo) in a Phase 1b clinical study in patients undergoing allo-HSCT. SER-155 and the Company's other pipeline programs are designed to target multiple disease-relevant pathways and are manufactured from standard clonal cell banks via cultivation, rather than from the donor-sourced production process used for VOWST. In addition to allo-HSCT, the Company intends to evaluate SER-155 and other cultivated live biotherapeutic candidates in other medically vulnerable patient populations including autologous-HSCT patients, cancer patients with neutropenia, CAR-T recipients, individuals with chronic liver disease, solid organ transplant recipients, as well as patients in the intensive care unit and long-term acute care facilities. For more information, please visit www.serestherapeutics.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including statements about our anticipated financial performance, the receipt of an additional installment payment, projected cash runway, and other statements which are not historical fact.

These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: (1) we have incurred significant losses, are not currently profitable and may never become profitable; (2) our need for additional funding; (3) our history of operating losses; (4) our novel approach to therapeutic intervention; (5) our reliance on third parties to conduct our clinical trials and manufacture our product candidates; (6) the competition we will face; (7) our ability to protect our intellectual property; (8) our ability to retain key personnel and to manage our growth; (9) the effect of the VOWST sale on our ability to retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with our customers, suppliers, advertisers, partners and others with whom we do business, or on our operating results and businesses generally; (10) the risks associated with the disruption of management’s attention from ongoing business operations due to the obligation to provide transition services; (11) our failure to receive the installment payments or the milestone payments in the future; (12) the uncertainty of impact of the 50/50 profit and loss sharing arrangement on our reported results and liquidity; and (13) we may not be able to realize the anticipated benefits of the VOWST sale. These and other important factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), on November 13, 2024, and our other reports filed with the SEC could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

Investor and Media Contacts:
IR@serestherapeutics.com

Carlo Tanzi, Ph.D.
Kendall Investor Relations
ctanzi@kendallir.com

FAQ

How much was the installment payment received by Seres Therapeutics (MCRB) for the VOWST sale?

Seres Therapeutics received a $50 million installment payment from Nestlé Health Science related to the VOWST business sale.

When will MCRB receive the next installment payment from Nestlé Health Science?

Seres Therapeutics expects to receive a $25 million installment payment (minus up to $1.5M in employment-related payments) in July 2025.

How long will MCRB's current cash runway last?

Based on current cash position and operating plans, Seres Therapeutics expects to fund operations into the first quarter of 2026.

What is the total value of expected payments from the VOWST sale for MCRB in 2025?

The total expected payments in 2025 amount to $75 million ($50 million received in January and $25 million expected in July, less approximately $1.5M in employment-related payments).