Hamilton Thorne Announces 2011 Third Quarter Financial Results

BEVERLY, MA and TORONTO--(Marketwire - Nov 28, 2011) - Hamilton Thorne Ltd. (TSX-V: HTL), a leading provider of advanced laser systems for the regenerative medicine, fertility and stem cell research markets, today reported operational and financial results for the third quarter and nine months year-to-date ended September 30, 2011.

"Revenue in the third quarter increased to $1.86 million, exceeding the prior year by 8.5% due to substantial growth in our laser portfolio, bolstered by strong LYKOS™ sales. Our new LYKOS™ laser system continues to pick up momentum in the existing customer base and is well received by new customers, thus enabling the Company to further cement our dominance in the US fertility market. Sales of lasers for research markets also increased in sales during Q3, although the research market tends to have a slower adoption rate due to its complex and evolving technological landscape," said David Wolf, President and Chief Executive Office of Hamilton Thorne Ltd. "The nine months year-to-date revenue increased 14.1% to $5.1 million, and by a combination of growing sales and closely managing our operating expenses, we continue to edge closer to achieving our profitability goals."

Third Quarter Highlights

• Hamilton Thorne closed on a private placement and recapitalization of debt that substantially improved the Company's cash position and strengthened the balance sheet. Common stock proceeds of $2.7 million were utilized to pay down long-term bank debt by $1.5 million, resulting in $1.2 million of net new cash. In addition, over $1.6 million of subordinated debentures and other debt were converted to capital stock, substantially reducing debt and future interest expense by approximately $50,000 per quarter.
  
  
• Hamilton Thorne's products were referenced in over 7 new peer-reviewed scientific articles, by customers at world-leading research labs and academic institutions, including an article in the prestigious journal Nature.
  
  
• At the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Annual Meeting in October 2011, Hamilton Thorne showcased two fertility products, the newly launched LYKOS™ laser system, as well as previewed the Company's IMSI STRICT™ imaging analysis software. LYKOS™ is a significant advance in integrated laser optics, providing additional functionality, improved optics, increased resolution and compatibility with all major microscope models. IMSI STRICT™ is an imaging analysis product that provides fertility clinicians with the ability to select optimum sperm and thus improve outcomes during advanced fertility procedures.
  
  
• Hamilton Thorne President David Wolf was appointed as the Company's Chief Executive Officer. Meg Spencer, the Company's former CEO, remained Hamilton Thorne's Chairman of the Board and will continue to play a lead role in defining product strategy. The Company also announced that Mr. Wolf had been appointed to the Company's Board of Directors.

Financial Results

All amounts are in US dollars, unless specified otherwise, and results expressed in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"), which replaces Canadian Generally Accepted Accounting Policies ("GAAP") effective January 1, 2010 for all publicly accountable enterprises in Canada.

For the three months ended September 30, 2011, the Company reported a sales increase of 8.5% to $1,858,333 for the quarter ended September 30, 2011, an increase of $144,969 from $1,713,364 during the previous year. Nine months sales for 2011 of $5,136,989 were up 14.1%, from sales of $4,502,571 in 2010. This increase was attributable to increased demand for our existing products, additional sales derived from our new LYKOS laser introduced in the second quarter of 2011 and improved budget availability for capital equipment purchases, particularly in the human clinical market. The Company's customers in the regenerative medicine field primarily use the Company's products in research applications. Sales of products for research applications are often funded by government grants and may be subject to extended purchasing cycles.

Gross profit for the quarter increased 11% to $1,157,166 in the quarter ended September 30, 2011, compared to $1,042,547 in the previous year and increased to $3,210,539 versus $2,762,070 for the comparable nine-month periods. Gross profit as a percentage of sales were somewhat higher at 62.3% for the quarter and 62.5% for the nine-months ended September 30, 2011, versus 60.8% and 61.3% for the comparable periods in 2010, due primarily to product mix and increased sales spread over a relatively constant overhead base.

Operating expenses were $1,370,652 and $4,331,128 for the quarter and nine-months ended September 30, 2011, up from $1,271,788 and $3,815,081 for comparable periods during the previous year. This increase in operating expenses represents continued strategic investment in the growth of the Company. Research and development expenses increased from $239,246 to $267,842 for the quarter ended September 30, 2011 and from $718,500 to $887,570 for the nine-month period due to continued development of new products. Sales and marketing expenses increased from $569,480 to $676,734 for the quarter ended September 30, 2011 and from $1,650,274 to $1,985,974 for the nine-month period due to the expansion of our sales and marketing staff, commission expense on higher sales volume, and increased variable costs of selling. General and administrative (G&A) expenses decreased from $463,062 to $426,076 for the quarter ended September 30, 2011 versus the prior quarter and increased from $1,446,307 to $1,457,584 for the nine-month period due primarily to increases in staffing and one-time severance expenses offset by positive foreign currency valuation adjustments related to the convertible debentures issued in August 2010 and March 2011 issued in Canadian dollars.

Net interest expense increased from $92,997 to $159,518 for the quarter ended September 30, 2011 and from $225,111 to $442,028 for the nine-month period. The increase was due primarily to the non-cash interest expense, both coupon and accreted, on the Company's convertible debentures. Interest expense is expected to decrease by approximately $50,000 per quarter as a result of a conversion of approximately $1.6 million of debt to equity and the reduction of the Company's bank loan by $1.5 million, both of which were completed in the quarter ended September 30, 2011.

The net loss for the quarter ended September 30, 2011 increased from $322,237 to $373,004 and from $1,278,122 to $1,562,617 for the nine-month period. The increased loss was primarily due to the additional investments by the Company in research, product development, sales and marketing, additional general and administrative expenses and interest expense, partially offset by increased gross profit resulting from increased sales.

As of September 30, 2011, the Company had 46,616,365 common shares issued and outstanding. As of September 30, 2011, there were 5,729,440 warrants outstanding to purchase common shares: 5,500,005, at a price of Cdn $0.60 which originally were set to expire in April 2011 but were extended by eighteen months to October 2012; 194,435 warrants to acquire one common share at an exercise price of Cdn$0.50, expiring in August 2012 and March 2013, issued to its financial advisors in connection with the August 2010 and March 2011 sales of the convertible debentures; and 35,000 warrants to acquire one common share at an exercise price of Cdn$0.20, expiring in September 2013, issued to its financial advisor in connection with the common stock private placement.

Stock options issued to employees and directors outstanding at September 30, 2011 totaled 4,654,405 at exercise prices ranging from Cdn $0.18 to Cdn $0.7712. Options for 2,569,140 shares are exercisable as of September 30, 2011. Options expire at varying times from July 2012 through September 2021.

The financial statements are available on www.sedar.com.

About Hamilton Thorne Ltd. (www.hamiltonthorne.com)
Hamilton Thorne provides novel solutions for Life Science that reduce cost, increase productivity as much as ten-fold, and enable research breakthroughs in regenerative medicine, stem cell research and fertility markets. The Company's new LYKOS™, Staccato™ and Stiletto™ laser systems offer significant scientific advantages in the fields of developmental biology, cancer research and other segments of cell biology. Hamilton Thorne's laser products attach to standard inverted microscopes and operate as robotic micro-surgeons, enabling a wide array of scientific applications and procedures.

Hamilton Thorne's growing customer base includes pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, fertility clinics, university research centers, and other commercial and academic research establishments worldwide. Current customers include world-leading research labs such as Harvard University, MIT, Yale, McGill University, DuPont, Monsanto, Charles River Labs, Jackson Labs, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Oxford University, and Cambridge.

Neither the Toronto Venture Exchange, nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the exchange), accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Certain information in this press release may contain forward-looking statements. This information is based on current expectations that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to the Company. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in filings by the Company with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com.

Financial results included below:

Hamilton Thorne Ltd.
Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
As at September 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010
(Expressed in U.S. Dollars - unaudited)
			September 30, 2011		December 31, 2010
Assets
Current
	Cash and cash equivalents		618,359		714,498
	Accounts receivable		1,176,576		971,406
	Inventories		756,24		544,170
	Prepaid expenses and other current assets		85,303		58,241
			2,636,479		2,288,315
	Property and equipment		186,816		134,662
	Other assets		112,126		111,968
Total assets			2,935,421		2,534,945
Liabilities
Current
	Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		1,390,981		1,412,831
	Notes payable		46,590		104,460
	Capital lease obligations, current		30,621		20,250
	Deferred revenue		46,136		91,086
	Total current liabilities		1,514,328		1,628,627
	Capital lease obligations, non-current		48,949		37,295
	Deferred revenue, long-term		79,486		79,486
	Long-term debt		3,771,506		6,121,015
	Total liabilities		5,414,269		7,866,423
Shareholders' Equity (Deficiency)
	Common shares		28,621,499		24,345,752
	Warrants		354,127		349,019
	Contributed surplus		741,927		607,535
	Accumulated deficit		(32,196,401)		(30,633,784)
	Total Shareholders' equity (deficiency)		(2,478,848)		(5,331,478)
	Total Liabilities and shareholders' equity (deficiency)		2,935,421		2,534,945

Hamilton Thorne Ltd.
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss
For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010
(Expressed in U.S. Dollars - unaudited)
				Three Months ended September 30				Nine Months ended September 30
				2011		2010		2011		2010
Sales				1,858,333		1,713,364		5,136,989		4,502,571
Cost of sales				701,167		670,816		1,926,450		1,740,501
				1,157,166		1,042,548		3,210,539		2,762,070
Expenses
	Research and development			267,842		239,246		887,570		718,500
	Sales and marketing			676,734		569,480		1,985,974		1,650,274
	General and administrative			426,076		463,062		1,457,584		1,446,307
Total expenses				1,370,652		1,271,788		4,331,128		3,815,081
Loss from operations				(213,486)		(229,240)		(1,120,589)		(1,053,011)
Other income (expense)
		Interest expense, net,
		Including accretion		(159,518)		(92,997)		(442,028)		(225,111)
Net loss and comprehensive loss				(373,004)		(322,237)		(1,562,617)		(1,278,122)
Loss per share
	Basic			($0.01)		($0.01)		($0.06)		($0.05)
	Diluted			($0.01)		($0.01)		($0.06)		($0.05)
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding
	Basic			28,616,836		24,415,157		25,831,108		24,415,157
	Diluted			28,616,836		24,415,157		25,831,108		24,415,157

Hamilton Thorne Ltd
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010
(Expressed in U.S. Dollars - unaudited)
				Three Months ended September 30				Nine Months ended September 30
				2011		2010		2011		2010
Cash flows from operating activities
Net loss for the year				(373,004)		(322,237)		(1,562,617)		(1,278,122)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
	Depreciation and amortization			24,460		17,559		53,380		48,750
	Non-cash interest expense/accretion			(65,393)		8,833		147,878		8,833
	Share-based payments expense			36,560		64,645		110,870		187,135
	Changes in non-cash operating assets and liabilities:					-				-
		Accounts receivable		(189,943)		37,026		(205,170)		(548,046)
		Inventories		(54,955)		7,823		(212,071)		(49,759)
		Prepaid expenses and other current assets		14,345		10,467		(27,062)		53,942
		Other assets		870		-		(158)		(57,000)
		Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		(67,887)		(226,910)		48,818		97,545
		Deferred revenue		(8,849)		(8,008)		(44,950)		122,880
Net cash flows used in operating activities				(683,796)		(410,802)		(1,691,082)		(1,413,842)
Cash flows from investing activities
	Purchase of capital assets			(15,670)		(1,672)		(58,924)		(49,868)
Cash flows from financing activities
	Proceeds from debt			12,457		1,999,886		600,475		2,754,340
	Payments on debt			(1,573,360)		(614,446)		(1,595,630)		(1,671,145)
	Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net of expenses			2,649,022				2,649,022
	Costs of private placement refunded							-		3,814
Net cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities				1,088,119		1,385,440		1,653,867		1,087,009
Net Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents				388,653		972,966		(96,139)		(376,701)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period				229,706		6,703		714,498		1,356,371
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period				618,359		979,669		618,359		979,670
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid during the period for:
	Interest			69,860		55,559		202,137		163,025
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash financing activities:
	Equipment acquired under capital lease			-		0		46,610		0
	Conversion of debentures to equity			1,573,212				1,573,212
	Conversion of subordinated note to equity			54,145				54,145