Crescita Secures Line of Credit with the Royal Bank of Canada Following Repayment in Full of Knight Therapeutics Loan
Laval, QC, Jan. 22, 2020 /CNW/ - Crescita Therapeutics Inc. (TSX: CTX) (OTC US: CRRTF) ("Crescita" or the "Company"), a commercial dermatology company with manufacturing capabilities and a portfolio of non-prescription skincare products and prescription drug products for the treatment and care of skin conditions, diseases and their symptoms, today announced that it has secured a $3.5 million revolving demand operating credit facility (the "Facility") with the Royal Bank of Canada ("RBC") following the repayment in full of its outstanding long-term debt of $3.6 million owed to Knight Therapeutics Inc. (the "Knight Loan").
The Facility can be drawn by Crescita for working capital requirements and general corporate purposes, and bears interest at a low single-digit premium to RBC's Prime Rate. As is customary for a credit facility of this nature, loans drawn on the Facility will be secured by a first ranking charge in favour of RBC over the Company's accounts receivable and inventories. Drawings after the first $1.0 million on the Facility will be limited to a percentage of the Company's then outstanding accounts receivable and inventory. The closing of the Facility remains subject to the steps required to grant RBC a first-ranking charge over the Company's accounts receivable and inventories. Subject to the satisfaction of such condition, the Facility is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2020.
"The repayment in full of the Knight Loan represents an important step in improving our balance sheet and is a good use of our cash at this time. This leaves us only with the convertible debentures which we believe will be converted to equity over time," commented Jose DaRocha, Crescita's Chief Financial Officer. "We are also very pleased to develop a closer relationship with RBC by establishing this operating line of credit which will increase our flexibility to execute our strategy by leveraging our technologies to build and grow our revenue streams," added Mr. DaRocha.
About Crescita Therapeutics Inc.
Crescita (TSX: CTX) (OTC US: CRRTF) is a publicly traded, Canadian commercial dermatology company with manufacturing capabilities and a portfolio of non-prescription skincare products for the treatment and care of skin conditions, diseases and their symptoms and prescription drug products for the treatment of pain. Crescita owns multiple proprietary drug delivery platforms that support the development of patented formulations that can facilitate the delivery of active drugs into or through the skin.
Supported by a sales force covering Canada and executing its business to business to consumer marketing approach, Crescita sells its non-prescription products through spas, medispas and medical clinics. In addition, our brands and formulations are currently sold in the U.S. and certain Asian markets through international distributors as well as through a leading cross-border e-commerce channel in China.
Crescita developed a prescription product called Pliaglis® that utilizes our proprietary phase-changing topical cream Peel technology. Pliaglis is a topical local anaesthetic cream that provides safe and effective local dermal analgesia on intact skin prior to superficial dermatological procedures. The product is currently approved in over 25 different countries and sold by commercial partners in the U.S., Italy and Brazil.
Crescita also provides contract development and manufacturing services to several local and North American clients. Our contract development and manufacturing organization infrastructure allows Crescita to provide its clients with development and other support activities required to bring their products to market. Crescita has extensive expertise in product formulation and development, leveraging our patented transdermal delivery technologies, and specializes in manufacturing creams, liquids, gels ointments and serums. The Company operates out of a 50,000 square-foot manufacturing facility located in Laval, Québec that is compliant with current Canadian Good Manufacturing Practices and is regularly inspected by Health Canada.
Forward-Looking Information Cautionary Statement
This press release contains "forward-looking information" as defined under Canadian securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). The words "plans", "expects", "does not expect", "goals", "seek", "strategy", "future", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "does not anticipate", "projected", "believes" or variations of such words and phrases or statements to the effect that certain actions, events or results "may", "will", "could", "would", "should", "might", "likely", "occur", "be achieved" or "continue" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, intentions, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are not historical facts but instead represent management's expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions regarding future events or circumstances. Such forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances surrounding future expectations which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management of the Company as of the date of this press release, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Material factors and assumptions used to develop the forward-looking statements, and material risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements, include but are not limited to, Crescita's ability to satisfy the conditions to closing of the Facility, changes in the business or affairs of Crescita; the ability of Crescita's licensees to successfully market its products; competitive factors in the industries in which Crescita operates; relationships with customers, suppliers and licensees; changes in legal and regulatory requirements; foreign exchange and interest rates; prevailing economic conditions; and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of Crescita.
Additional factors that could cause Crescita's actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the risk factors included in Crescita's most recent Annual Information Form dated March 18, 2019 under the heading "Risks Factors", and as described from time to time in the reports and disclosure documents filed by Crescita with Canadian securities regulatory agencies and commissions. These and other factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on Crescita's forward-looking statements, as forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not the times at or by which such performance or results will be achieved.
SOURCE Crescita Therapeutics Inc.
Investor Relations, Email: [email protected]; Glen Akselrod, Bristol Capital, Tel: 1.905.326.1888, extension 10, Email: [email protected]
Share this article