Three of the ZEVASKYN treatments reported to date took place in Q1 2026 and translated into net revenue of $8.7 million for that quarter. Second, we're sharing meaningful updates to our R&D pipeline, featuring a potentially game-changing, radically novel engineered T-cell technology for advanced prostate cancer. As our initial ZEVASKYN commercial patients share their experiences over time, we expect these stories to become one of the most powerful demand drivers available to us in this rare disease setting. Now I'll share some important pipeline updates that highlight our focus on assets that align with our core competencies and what we believe would deliver the greatest long-term value.

We reported total net product revenue of $8.7 million for the first quarter of 2026. This reflects a strong quarter-over-quarter increase of $6.3 million compared to $2.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2025. The growth was driven by early commercial traction following the launch of ZEVASKYN. The increase was primarily driven by the scaling of commercial ZEVASKYN, with three patient treatments in Q1 versus one treatment in Q4.

Selling general and administrative expenses were $19.5 million, representing an increase of $9.7 million year-over-year first quarter. This increase was expected and reflects our continued investment in commercial infrastructure post-approval. Our balance sheet remains strong and positions us well to support continued commercial execution and pipeline advancement. Overall, we are encouraged by the early commercial progress of ZEVASKYN and remain disciplined in our capital allocation as we scale the business.

What went well
  • The launch inflected: net product revenue reached $8.7 million in Q1 2026, up $6.3 million from $2.4 million in Q4 2025, as three ZEVASKYN treatments were recorded in the quarter - all commercially insured patients, yielding a far more favorable gross-to-net than the Q4 Medicaid patient.
  • Five commercial patients had been treated since launch by the call date (one in Q4 2025, three in Q1 2026, one so far in the current quarter), with a sixth in manufacturing and at least six more expected to be biopsied in the quarter.
  • The QTC network expanded rapidly to six activated centers, adding NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), giving national geographic coverage; the goal of seven active by year-end looks well within reach.
  • Payer coverage strengthened further, with published ZEVASKYN policies now reaching 95% of commercially covered lives, and still no patient attrition and no final payer denials.
  • Demand stayed robust with more than 100 identified patients and active referral conversations with 45 physicians; initial uptake spanned adults and children (as young as five) across both commercial and Medicaid payers and wide geographies.
  • Abeona in-licensed a novel PSMA-directed engineered T-cell therapy (ABO-701) for advanced prostate cancer from Angeles Therapeutics - a much larger market - for a $7 million upfront with modest (~$1 million) milestones through Phase I, positioning a pipeline asset while keeping near-term cost low.
  • The first commercial patient - originally biopsied in August 2025 but unable to be treated due to the sterility-assay false positive - was successfully rebiopsied and treated, and management guided to potential monthly profitability as soon as June 2026.
What went wrong
  • The net loss widened to $17.1 million (-$0.30 per share) from $12 million (-$0.24) a year earlier, reflecting the commercial build-out and the $7 million PSMA CAR-T upfront payment.
  • Cash and investments fell to $168.3 million from $191.4 million at year-end 2025.
  • The insurance-approval process remained lengthy and variable - roughly four-to-five months from identification to biopsy - particularly for out-of-state Medicaid patients requiring physician enrollment and single-case agreements.
  • All treatments and scheduled biopsies to date still came from only the first two QTCs (Lurie and Stanford); the newer centers had identified patients but not yet begun treating.
  • SG&A rose to $19.5 million (up $9.7 million year over year) on continued commercial investment, and cost of sales rose to $2.7 million as treatment volume scaled.
  • Management deprioritized its in-house ophthalmology preclinical programs to fund the oncology in-license, and acknowledged that solid-tumor engineered T-cell therapies have historically struggled - the PSMA program will not reach first-in-human studies until the second half of 2027.

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodCurrent guidance
Monthly profitabilityJune 2026Maintained; monthly profitability could begin as soon as June 2026 depending on how scheduled biopsies convert
Active QTCsEnd of 2026Six activated; on track for at least seven this year, working toward nine or ten EB centers with the needed infrastructure over time
Manufacturing capacityEnd of 2026Six runs/month now, ramping to about 10 per month by year-end; additional-suite design work done, construction not yet started
Payer mix2026Expected ~60% commercial and ~30-33% Medicaid; gross-to-net expected in the mid-to-upper teens at scale (Medicaid rebate 23.1%)
Operating expense run-rateRest of 2026Excluding the one-time $7M PSMA upfront, R&D and SG&A run-rate roughly steady, with costs shifting from SG&A to COGS as volume grows
PSMA CAR-T (ABO-701)2H 2027Pre-IND FDA meeting on June 3, 2026; IND filing and first-in-human studies to begin in 2H 2027; near-term spend low single-digit millions

Performance Breakdown

MetricYoYNote
Net product revenue $8.7M vs $2.4M (Q4 2025) Three commercially insured treatments in the quarter; favorable commercial gross-to-net versus the Q4 Medicaid patient.
Net loss -$17.1M vs -$12.0M Increased commercial investment plus the $7M PSMA CAR-T licensing upfront.
EPS -$0.30 vs -$0.24 Wider net loss.
R&D expense $9.6M vs $9.9M Includes a $7M PSMA upfront; excluding it, R&D declined as manufacturing costs shifted to inventory/COGS post-approval.
SG&A expense $19.5M vs $9.8M Continued commercial infrastructure investment: $5.4M personnel/stock-based comp, $1.9M engineering runs, plus other commercialization costs.
Cost of sales $2.7M vs $1.0M (Q4 2025) Three treatments in Q1 versus one in Q4.
Cash and investments $168.3M vs $191.4M (YE2025) Funding commercial execution and the PSMA licensing transaction.

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

TopicPrevious mentionCurrent periodTrend
Commercial inflection1 treatmentNet product revenue jumped to $8.7M on three commercial treatments; five patients treated since launch, six QTCs live, momentum building.
QTC expansion4 centersSix activated (added Columbia and CHOP) with national coverage; targeting seven this year and up to nine-to-ten EB centers over time as capacity grows.
Market access>80% commercial95% of commercial lives now covered by published policies; no attrition, no final denials; out-of-state Medicaid remains the main friction.
Pipeline pivot to oncologyOphthalmology preclinicalIn-licensed PSMA-directed engineered T-cell therapy ABO-701 for advanced prostate cancer ($7M upfront); deprioritized in-house ophthalmology; pre-IND June 3, 2026; first-in-human 2H 2027; CDMO-run to protect ZEVASKYN focus.
Path to profitability1H 2026Monthly profitability possible as early as June 2026; steady-state ~one patient/month per QTC; gross-to-net expected mid-to-upper teens at scale.
Manufacturing6/monthSix runs/month now, ramping to ~10 by year-end; 23-26 day turnaround; every valid biopsy has produced a sheet, usually double-digit sheets.

Q&A Summary

Cantor asked about the typical patient profile and interest in retreatment.
Physicians describe severe patients, many needing more than 12 sheets, so unmet need persists even after treatment; clinical-trial patients are interested in returning, though timing of any retreatment is uncertain.
Cantor and Jefferies asked how to model Q2 treatments and per-QTC volume.
Management gave visibility to at least eight patients (one treated, one in manufacturing, six scheduling biopsies); a good chunk should fall into Q2, with steady-state around one patient per month per QTC.
Stifel asked about PSMA CAR-T deal economics and manufacturing needs.
$7M upfront plus ~$1M of milestones through end of Phase I; after Phase I, Angeles chooses a 50/50 co-development or a license with predefined terms; development runs through an external CDMO, so Abeona's Cleveland teams stay focused on ZEVASKYN.
H.C. Wainwright asked about QTC activation challenges and biopsy-to-treatment success.
QTC onboarding is a several-month (sometimes year-plus) multidisciplinary, legal and training effort limited to the ~5-10 EB centers with the right infrastructure; every valid biopsy has produced a product sheet (usually double-digit sheets) with a 23-26 day turnaround.
Alliance Global Partners asked about gross-to-net and the go-forward expense run-rate.
Q1's three commercial patients carried far lower rebates than the Medicaid 23.1%; at scale gross-to-net should be mid-to-upper teens; excluding the $7M upfront, R&D/SG&A run-rate is roughly steady with costs shifting to COGS as volume grows.

More on Abeona Therapeutics Inc.

Reported 2026-05-13 · figures from the Abeona Therapeutics Inc. Q1 2026 earnings call.

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