MediPharm Labs (TSX:LABS) held its first-quarter earnings conference call on Wednesday. Below is the complete transcript from the call.

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Access the full call at https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/116870256

Summary

MediPharm Labs reported Q1 2026 revenue of $9.0 million, down from $10.8 million in Q1 2025, with a gross profit of $3.3 million, representing a 37% gross margin.

The company achieved positive adjusted EBITDA of $0.1 million, reflecting improved margin quality and lower operating expenses.

MediPharm Labs is focusing on expanding its presence in international regulated medical markets, particularly in Europe and Australia, and is preparing to enter markets in France and Brazil.

The company is strategically positioning itself to benefit from the US Schedule 3 rescheduling of cannabis, leveraging its FDA-inspected facility and pharmaceutical-grade capabilities.

Operational highlights include a positive cash position of $9.9 million, no debt, and ongoing efforts to optimize product mix and control costs amidst changing market conditions.

Full Transcript

OPERATOR

Thank you for standing by and welcome to the MediPharm Labs conference call to discuss the company's 2026 Q1 results. Our speaker on today's call is Greg Hunter, Interim CEO and Chief Financial Officer. As a reminder, all participants are in a listen only mode and the conference is being recorded. After management's presentation, we will take questions from the analyst community on the telephone and then take written questions through the Q and A feature on the webcast. The information during this call should be considered together with the more detailed information, disclosure, financial data and statements available on the Company's website and in the SEDAR Plus profile at SEDAR Plus CA as set out on the webcast slide. I would like to note that remarks during this earnings call may contain forward looking information and forward looking statements within the meaning of applicable security laws. This includes, without limitation, statements about medifarm Labs and its current and future plans, expectations, intentions, financial results, operations, levels of activity, performance goals or achievements, and other future events, trends, profitability, business growth or developments. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward looking statements. The statements made are based on the Company's current expectations, estimates and beliefs as of today's date. The Company's remarks may also contain references to certain non IFRS financial measures including adjusted ebitda. These measures do not have any standardized meaning according to International Financial Reporting Standards or ifrs and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Please review the Company's most recent disclosure materials filed on SEDAR Plus for the risks associated with forward looking information and the use of non IFRS financial measures, including the section titled Reconciliation of Non IFRS Measures and the Company's most recent MDNA available on Setter Plus. Please note that all dollar amounts mentioned on today's call are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted. And now I would like to turn the call over to Mr. Greg Hunter, please go ahead.

Greg Hunter (Interim CEO and Chief Financial Officer)

Thank you operator and good morning everyone. This morning I'll briefly revisit MediPharm's core differentiators, outline how we're building on that foundation to drive growth in 2026, and then walk through our first quarter results including the return to positive adjusted EBITDA. As we discussed in our Q4 call, MediPharm is not a single market or single product company. We operate across four distinct revenue channels supported by a regulatory and licensing platform that is both rare and difficult to replicate from a regulatory standpoint. MediPharm holds a unique combination of licenses which takes years to obtain and millions of dollars to develop. Notable licenses include a Health Canada Drug Establishment License, EU GMP certification and ANVISA GMP certification from Brazil, TGA compliance in Australia, an FDA inspected facility with prior shipments of pharmaceutical grade APIs into the United States for research and clinical studies and we maintain licenses and registrations that support natural health product development should that pathway evolve. In Canada, these capabilities are operational enablers. They determine where we can participate, which formats we can offer and the type of partners we can support. As a result, MediPharm is often selected because we are a trusted, compliant and dependable partner, not because we are the lowest cost option in regulated medical and pharmaceutical channels. That distinction matters and it underpins both our commercial relationships and our long term strategy. As regulatory standards continue to evolve globally, this platform increasingly differentiates MediPharm in regulated medical and pharmaceutical channels. That differentiation was reinforced by the recent US Schedule 3 announcement which lowered barriers to clinical research and pharmaceutical development involving cannabis derived products. We believe MediPharm is well positioned to support these regulated pharmaceutical and research activities given our FDA inspected facility, Health Canada Drug Establishment license and experience supplying pharmaceutical grade cannabinoids for research and clinical use. Building on what makes MediPharm unique, I would like to take some time to expand on our strategy for growth which is deliberate, diversified and disciplined spanning both organic execution and selected inorganic opportunities. Organically, our growth strategy is focused on maximizing the value of the platform we have spent years and millions of dollars to build. International medical remains a key growth engine. We continue to expand our Beacon and Wildlife branded products in Germany which supports more stable demand a stronger margin profile over time. At the same time, we remain active in white label flower opportunities only participating where margin thresholds and partner quality meet our standards. We continue to invest in non smokable and pharmaceutical grade formats including oils and inhalation technologies which align with tightening regulatory expectations and patient demand while differentiating MediPharm from commodity suppliers. Australia remains a key market and we are adapting to pricing and prescribing changes by protecting the premium beacon positioning in addition to launching products in the value segment, our wildlife portfolio allowing us to cover a broader portion of the market without diluting our core brand. We are pursuing targeted geographic expansion in regulated medical markets such as France, Brazil, New Zealand the UK where we have had recent success and our licensing and pharma grade credentials deliver a competitive advantage in domestic medical. Our growth strategy is centered on protecting and optimizing high value regulated patient base. We remain focused on continuity of care, service quality and reliability, particularly for veteran patients where trust and consistency matter most following the recent veteran reimbursement changes we discussed on the Q4 call. Our approach is grounded in operational discipline including cost control, procurement efficiency and thoughtful product mix management while continuing to prioritize patient outcomes. We are expanding third party medical partnerships and platform listings, increasing access to MediPharm products beyond our own channels and broadening SKU availability where it makes economic sense. Our clinic platform continues to provide capital, efficient patient access, supporting engagement, education and retention. Overall, domestic medical continues to be a core channel where disciplined execution and patient loyalty are paramount. In pharma and B2B, we continue to leverage our drug establishment license, clinical trial experience and our expansive manufacturing capabilities to support long term pharmaceutical optionality and capital light contract manufacturing opportunities in adult use and wellness. MediPharm's strategy remains intentionally focused, selective and margin driven. We continue to defend our number two leadership position in premium oils where MediPharm has built brand recognition and product credibility even as the broader category contracts. Rather than chasing volume, we are prioritizing disciplined pricing, mix optimization and cost efficiency protecting contribution margin in a competitive environment. We are selectively innovating in adjacent non smokable formats including extract drops and differentiated formulations where we can leverage existing capabilities without incremental capital intensity. Distribution efforts are focused on markets and listings that meet return thresholds while maintaining a capital light sales model. Adult use and wellness remains an important contributor that complements our broader portfolio when managed with discipline. Across all organic initiatives, the consistent theme is margin quality, regulatory alignment and repeatability, not short term volumes. In addition to organic growth, we view selective M and A as a way to strengthen and accelerate our existing platform where there is clear strategic fit. Our approach is grounded in regulatory alignment, operational discipline and long term value creation. We focus on opportunities that reinforce MediPharm's position in regulated medical markets, leverage our formulation and manufacturing capabilities and enhance earnings quality rather than simply add revenue. With our liquidity position and minimal debt, we have the flexibility to pursue transactions when the economics and integration profile are compelling without compromising financial discipline. Overall, MA is viewed as a complementary tool to strengthen and accelerate our strategy as the industry continues to consolidate. Taken together, our organic and inorganic strategies are designed to build on medifarm's differentiated platform, deepen our presence in regulated medical markets and position the company to benefit as global markets continue to mature and consolidate. This balanced approach allows us to pursue growth while maintaining the discipline that has strengthened MediPharm over the past several years. Turning to commercial execution, Q1 2026 reflected measured progress across our core markets despite an operating environment where pricing and prescribing behavior and reimbursement regimes continued to shift. International medical remained a key focus of commercial activity with continued execution across Europe, Australia and other regulated markets. Following our first shipment of medical cannabis oil to France in Q4 2025, we received a second purchase order in Q1 2026. As France transitions from a national pilot program to a permanent pharmaceutical based medical cannabis framework, we believe MediPharm is well positioned to participate. The French system restricts medical cannabis to non combustible forms and requires pharmaceutical grade manufacturing standards supported by extensive regulatory dossiers, areas that align well with Medi Pharm's capabilities. During the quarter we expanded into New Zealand shipping our Beacon branded product to a top tier medical cannabis distributor. This allows us to leverage the Beacon brand which has been established with patients in neighboring Australia for more than five years. In Australia, prescribing behavior continued to adjust following regulatory enforcement actions across the market. During the quarter, we focused on portfolio optimization, refreshing our premium Beacon offerings while preparing to launch Wildlife branded flower in the value segment to better align with evolving patient demand. In Germany, we continued to deliver strong results with 14% sequential growth supported by expanded availability of branded flower under the Beacon and Wildlife portfolios and ongoing engagement with established distribution partners. The continued growth of MediPharm branded products is intended to reduce exposure to spot price volatility and improve the sustainability of our economics over time. In Brazil we received an additional customer purchase order during the quarter with shipments expected to commence in Q2. Non Smokable Pharmaceutical grade formats continue to advance consistent with our longer term strategy. During the quarter we progressed regulatory submissions related to our Meteredose inhaler platform supporting potential future entry into additional regulated markets. These efforts reflect continued demand for precisely dosed smoke free formats in medical channels and reinforce MediPharm's differentiated positioning in regulated environments. Domestic medical execution remains stable with consistent patient engagement across our medical platforms. During Q1, the organization focused on preparing for the implementation of veteran reimbursement changes, executing cost and procurement initiatives while maintaining patient access and service standards. We also continued to expand third party medical partnerships, increasing the breadth of MediPharm products available within established medical channels. Adult use and wellness remains intentionally disciplined. We continue to defend our position in premium oils, maintaining brand presence and share in a contracting category. Overall Q1 commercial execution reflected continued alignment between strategy and action, maintaining customer relationships, advancing priority markets and positioning the business for improved performance as the year progresses. Turning to the P and L performance for the first quarter, revenue was 9.0 million compared to 10.8 million in Q1 2025, reflecting typical first quarter seasonality and market adjustments in Australia. As discussed previously, international medical Cannabis revenue was 4.6 million, representing approximately 51% of total revenue for the quarter. Canadian medical Cannabis revenue was 3.0 million, remaining relatively stable year over year, reflecting the resilience of our medical PAT base. Canadian adult use and wellness revenue is $1.1 million, consistent with seasonal patterns and broader market trends. Gross profit was 3.3 million or 37%, which remains among the higher gross margins the company has achieved. Gross margin performance reflects disciplined product mix management, branded international sales and continued cost control. We remain focused on optimizing mix and production efficiency supported by differentiated pharmaceutical grade formats such as our metered dose inhaler platform. Total operating expenses including G and A, marketing and selling and R and D were 4.2 million, declining 14% year over year and 28% sequentially during the quarter we executed restructuring actions that are expected to deliver approximately 1 million in annualized cost savings beginning in Q2. Adjusted EBITDA was positive 0.1 million, reflecting improved margin quality and lower operating expenses and demonstrating the ability of the business to offset near term revenue pressure through disciplined execution. Net loss for the quarter was 0.9 million compared to 0.4 million in the prior year period. The prior year period benefited from 0.75 million of break fee income related to a terminated asset sale. Despite lower revenue, the business generated positive adjusted ebitda, underscoring the impact of deliberate actions taken on product mix procurement and operating costs. Before concluding, I want to briefly summarize the key takeaways for the first quarter. From a commercial standpoint, we executed key milestones across regulated international medical markets including expanded product availability, new purchase orders and first time shipments. In select geographies, we delivered revenue of 9.0 million reflecting typical first quarter seasonality and ongoing market adjustments internationally. While International Medical continued to represent a significant portion of our revenue mix, we maintained a 37% gross margin among the higher levels achieved in recent quarters despite a challenging environment. This performance reflects disciplined product mix management, branded international sales and continued focus on cost efficiency. We continue to make progress on profitability with positive adjusted EBITDA of 0.1 million, demonstrating that margin quality and operating discipline can offset near term revenue pressure. Finally, we exited the quarter with a strong balance sheet including $9.9 million in cash, virtually no debt and being current on excise taxes, sales taxes and trade payables. With this balance sheet strength and continued operating discipline, we remain well positioned to fund the business, manage near term headwinds and selectively evaluate opportunities that enhance our platform and long term earnings. Taken together, our Q1 results reflect the business executing with discipline, protecting margin and liquidity, and continuing to build resilience as we progress through 2026. In closing, Q1 showed the type of company we are building, disciplined on cost, focused on regulated medical markets, and careful with our balance sheet. Despite lower revenue, we protected margins, generated positive adjusted EBITDA and continued to advance the international markets. Central to our strategy for shareholders, the key milestone in 2026 included international medical expansion, resilience in domestic medical following reimbursement changes, sustained gross margins and disciplined capital use measures we believe will demonstrate the conversion of regulatory advantage into durable earnings. I would like to thank our employees for their continued focus and execution and our shareholders for their ongoing support. Operator will now open the line for questions.

OPERATOR

At this time I would like to remind everyone in order to ask a question, press star, then the number one on your telephone keypad. We will take questions from the analyst community on the telephone and then take written questions through the Q and A feature on the webcast. Your first question from the Webcast you announced that manufacturing is underway in Q2 for newly secured purchase agreements in France and Brazil. Realistically, when do you anticipate clearing final local import authorizations so that these agreements begin translating into recognized top line revenue? Are we looking at a layer Q3 or a Q4 event?

Greg Hunter (Interim CEO and Chief Financial Officer)

Great, thanks for the question. Maybe let me start a little bit broader with France and then I can drill down from there. So France is a large, longer term medical market, one of the larger ones in Europe that's heavily skewed towards non combustible formats, particularly oils, which aligns well with MediPharm's strong capabilities. France was initially launched as a government run pilot program and is looking to transition into a more permanent program in 2026 which we view as accelerating patient access. And so participation in the French market requires extensive regulatory dossiers that can take years to develop. And so we are working with an established partner in France to assemble that dossier which we expect to submit in the second quarter of 2026 and are optimistic about receiving authorization later in the year. You know we made our first commercial shipments of medical cannabis oil in France in 4Q25 as we talked about on the last call and as I said in the prepared remarks, you know We've received a second purchase order here in Q1 and we expect to start shipping against that in Q2 and expect additional shipments over time in 2026 as the market continues to develop.

OPERATOR

This is the next question. The Veterans Affairs Canada price cutting reimbursement from $8.50 per gram down to $6 per gram goes into effect this quarter. Q2, your Canadian medical cannabis revenue was flat at $3 million this quarter. What percentage of that domestic medical revenue is tied directly to Veteran affairs patients? And what specific steps are being taken to insulate Canadian gross margins from this margin compression?

Greg Hunter (Interim CEO and Chief Financial Officer)

Yeah, thanks for the question. So again, maybe if I start broader. So as many of you are aware, Veterans Affairs Canada announced changes to medical cannabis reimbursement as part of the 2025 federal budget impacting the Canadian direct to patient medical channel only. And so effective April 1, these changes did come into play with a decrease from about $8.50 a gram to $6 per gram, which obviously is a near term headwind not just for MediPharm but for the industry as a whole. And so as I said in my prepared remarks, we've made a number of changes. We anticipated this change coming and prepared implementing mitigation efforts. You know, one I talked about in the prepared remarks with implementing a restructuring program in Q1 that will save a million dollars on an annualized basis starting in, starting in Q2 we've done a number of procurement initiatives as well and as I said, focusing on product mix to optimize the product mix. You know one thing we're very focused on protecting is the service to our, to our veteran patient base which is, which is critical to us. And so you know, it's near term headwinds. And I think, you know, the other thing which isn't unique to MediPharm but has been echoed across the industry, these changes just, just don't reflect the cost structure of medical cannabis to supply to this critical patient base. So you know, although we're doing what we need to to protect service, I think in the long term, you know, these potential changes could impact longer term quality for non medical or for medical alternatives for our patients.

OPERATOR

Your next question comes from the line of Erin Gray with Alliance Global Partners. Your line is open.

Erin Gray (Equity Analyst)

Hi, thank you for the questions here. I guess you know, first and foremost, you know for a long time obviously we've talked about MediPharm Labs and the potential, you know, pharma medical opportunities. So when we think about the US and you know, phase one, referred to as rescheduling, you know, it includes FDA-approved and state medical products and operations which seems to really align best with your guys thesis and long Term story. So I know you talked about it a bit in the prepared remarks. Maybe, you know, tell us more. You know, is this the big catalyst for you to be able to now execute on the strategy vis a vis APIs and research in the US and how should we think about, you know, the sequences, the sequence of that and conversations that you're having and how we should expect to see announcements or impact on the P and L in the potential near to medium term?

Greg Hunter (Interim CEO and Chief Financial Officer)

Thanks Darren. Thanks for the question. Yeah. So as most people are aware, In April the U.S. rescheduled medical cannabis to Schedule 3 under federal law, although adult use cannabis still remains Schedule 1. So Schedule 3 primarily impacts the medical and pharmaceutical ecosystem, including the recognition of cannabis as accepted medical use and it expands access to clinical research and pharmaceutical drug development. And so as we Talked about in Q4 and Q1 and other calls is, you know, MediPharm Labs is well positioned for this with our FDA inspected facility, our drug establishment license and we have a long history of supplying pharmaceutical grade cannabinoids for clinical research into the U.S. So we believe this strongly supports our longer term pharmaceutical optionality. And that's where I say it's longer term. This isn't a short term immediate impact to the P and L in the next quarter. This is longer term on research potential. You know, one of the big things where a lot of people are focused is the Schedule 3 does provide tax relief, but that doesn't impact MediPharm Labs as we don't operate in the U.S. so that is not for MediPharm Labs, you know, separately. What I'd comment on too is the U.S. has also launched a Medicare linked pilot program, cannabinoid research and data generation, which again reinforces the shift towards evidence based pharmaceutical evaluation and longer term opportunities, which I think align very nicely with MediPharm Labs and the organization and suite of licenses that we've built over the last number of years.

Erin Gray (Equity Analyst)

Okay, I appreciate that color and I understand it might take a while for the PNL impact, but I guess just with the news changes, are you getting more inbound calls, you know, in terms of at least, you know, partnerships? So you might see. Do you guys feel like the licenses and facilities you have do provide an edge that aren't out there and you're one of the few partners that larger research universities or clinics are going to have to go to for this? I guess maybe are there more near term things we can look out for to show that this thesis is coming to fruition? Even if some of the PNL impacts might be more long term.

Greg Hunter (Interim CEO and Chief Financial Officer)

Yeah, yeah. I mean so certainly there are, we do get more inbound calls and there's more outbound calls as we reach out to potential partners to make them aware of MediPharm's capabilities. I mean some of the recent inbounds that we have had are from research universities looking at our capabilities to provide API. You know, as recently in the last month we've had inbound from universities looking for a capability. So it's a combination of both. But as I said, I think some of these are going to be longer term initiatives. Okay. All right, great. Thanks. I'll jump back in the queue.

OPERATOR

I'd now like to turn the call over to Greg Hunter for closing remarks.

Greg Hunter (Interim CEO and Chief Financial Officer)

Great. Well, thanks everybody for joining our call and look forward to discussing our Q2 results in August. And with that, have a great day everybody.

Disclaimer: This transcript is provided for informational purposes only. While we strive for accuracy, there may be errors or omissions in this automated transcription. For official company statements and financial information, please refer to the company's SEC filings and official press releases. Corporate participants' and analysts' statements reflect their views as of the date of this call and are subject to change without notice.