Lifeward Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Lifeward (NASDAQ:LFWD) reported first-quarter financial results on Friday. The transcript from the company's first-quarter earnings call has been provided below. This content is powered by Benzinga APIs. For comprehensive financial data and transcripts, visit https://www.benzinga.com/apis/. View the webcast at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/rz8f7ck8 Summary Lifeward completed the acquisition of Oratech, enhancing its position in biomedical innovation and focusing on neurorehabilitation, with no significant increase in operational expenses. Revenue for Q1 2026 was $3.9 million, down from $5 million in Q1 2025, primarily due to supply chain disruptions and manufacturing transitions. ReWalk personal exoskeleton sales increased 11% year-over-year, aided by expanded distribution and reimbursement access. Operating expenses increased due to a one-time R&D expense from the Oratech acquisition, but adjusted operating expenses declined by 12% due to cost optimization. The company is focused on cash management, operational efficiency, and expects revenue to stabilize with improvements in shipment execution in coming quarters. Lifeward is exploring strategic acquisitions and successfully secured a convertible note financing to strengthen its balance sheet. Management expressed optimism about long-term growth and profitability, citing improved operational leverage and strategic positioning. Full Transcript OPERATOR Good morning and welcome to the first quarter 2026 LifeWord Earnings conference call. All participants will be in listen only mode. Should you need assistance, please signal a conference specialist by pressing Star then zero on your telephone keypad. After today's presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions. To ask a question, you may press Star then one on your telephone keypad. To withdraw your question, please press Star then two. Please note this event is being recorded. I would now like to turn the conference over to Almag Adar, CFO of LifeWord. Please go ahead. ALMO GADAR (Chief Financial Officer) Thank you Drew and thanks everyone who is joining us on the call today. My name is ALMO GADAR, I'm LifeWord's Chief Financial Officer and with me on today's call is our President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Grant. Earlier this morning, LifeWord issued a press release detailing the financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026. I would ask you to review the full text of our forward looking statement from the press release. We anticipate making projections during this call and actual results could differ materially due to several factors including those outlined in our latest filing with the SEC. With that, I will turn the call over to Mark. Mark Grant (President and Chief Executive Officer) Thank you Almag and thank you everybody for joining us today. The first quarter of 2026 marked an important strategic milestone for LifeWord as we successfully completed the acquisition of Oratech. We believe this transaction significantly strengthens LifeWard's position as a diversified biomedical innovation company while reinforcing our focus on neurorehabilitation and our path for profitability. We believe this was a highly strategic and capital efficient transaction for LifeWord shareholders. Through the equity based acquisition of Oratech, we gained access to the Protein Oral Delivery Platform, a potentially transformative technology across many therapeutic indications including ORMD-0801 oral insulin, which is expected to commence a Phase 2 study. Importantly, the clinical program management responsibilities remain with Oramed utilizing funds previously transferred to Oratech as part of this strategic transaction. That means LifeWord and our shareholders, by owning the protein orally delivered platform outright, effectively receive a meaningful option on the potential success of the promising technology with minimal near term operational burden, no material increase in operating expenses and limited management bandwidth requirements beyond my own involvement supporting strategic oversight and development guidance. As many of you know, my background includes extensive experience in diabetes and metabolic disease and I believe this platform has meaningful long term potential. At the same time, LifeWord's core focus remains firmly centered on scaling our neurorehabilitation med tech business. The second key takeaway from the quarter is LifeWord is now substantially better positioned on its path to profitability. With the 10 million from our convertible note financing, we have significantly strengthened our balance sheet and improved our operating flexibility. This allows us to stabilize and build upon the fundamental and foundational work we have done over the last several quarters while maintaining our disciplined focus on operational efficiency, market access and innovation across our neuro rehabilitation platform. We expect continued operational stabilization over the next several quarters as our baseline resets following our manufacturing transition initiatives completed over the last year and the consummation of the important transaction this quarter. This gives us improved visibility as we move toward the end of 2026 and into 2027. Turning to commercialization we continue to make progress expanding distribution in the US and internationally as well as broadening reimbursement access for ReWalk, including through Medicare Advantage insurers such as Aetna Humana United Healthcare. We believe this positions our entire NeuroRehab portfolio and ReWalk in particular for very long term growth. On the commercial side, Rewalk's personal exoskeleton sales increased 11% year over year, reflecting the continued uptrend we are seeing in international sales reimbursement and distribution expansion. Total revenue for the quarter was impacted primarily by the alter G shipment. We experienced temporary timing disruptions associated with working capital constraints late last year that affected sourcing and supply chain execution. Importantly, we have a backlog of secured alter G orders in place now and have visibility to improve shipment execution during the second and third quarters as we ship against those orders. We were also impacted by tariffs and the financial impacts of our manufacturing transition following the closure of our Fremont, California facility and the shift to contract manufacturing in Massachusetts. Finally, we continue to evaluate strategic and accretive acquisition opportunities that complement our core rehabilitation and biomedical platform. During the first quarter we acquired an upper body exoskeleton technology designed to address the substantial unmet need of approximately 4.6 million stroke survivors. This is a great complement to our ReWalk platform development. Work is underway as we work toward commercial launch. Overall, we believe LifeWord is stronger strategically and operationally than it was a year ago. We are building a scalable platform with improving operational leverage and multiple potential drivers for future growth. With that, I'll turn the call back over to Almag. Almag Adar (Chief Financial Officer) Thank you Mark Revenue for the first quarter of 2026 was $3.9 million compared to 5 million in the first quarter of 2025. The year over year decline was primarily driven by lower altogether shipments resulting from temporary supply chain and sourcing constraints associated with working capital limitations in the final stage of our manufacturing transition activities. Importantly, ReWalk personal exoskeleton revenue increased 11% year over year to $1.6 million, reflecting continued progress in reimbursement coverage, channel expansion and international sales. Gross margin for the quarter was 34.2% compared to 42.2% in the prior year quarter. The decrease was primarily attributable to lower manufacturing absorption and resulting from reduced production volumes, higher freight and tariff expenses as well as unfavorable foreign currency exchange rate movements. Despite lower revenue, we continue to make meaningful progress in improving our operating expenses structure. Total operating expenses were 11.7 million, an increase primarily due to a one time non cash research and development expenses of approximately $4.9 million related to the acquired intellectual property assets in connection with Oratec transaction. On an on a GAAP basis, adjusted operating expenses declined 12% to 5.9 million compared to 6.8 million in the first quarter of 2025. The reduction was driven primarily by improved productivity productivity across sales and marketing operations, lower reimbursement related costs and reduce R and D spending following the completion of several major development programs. We believe these actions are creating a more efficient operating platform capable of generating meaningful leverage as revenue volumes increase. GAAP operating loss increased for the quarter to $10.3 million, primarily due to the Oratec related one time expenses I just described. On an non-GAAP basis, adjusted operating loss was unchanged year over year at 4.6 million despite lower revenue reflecting the benefits of our cost optimization initiatives. Cash used in operating activities declined by 33% to 3.7 million compared to the first quarter of 2025, primarily reflecting improved operational efficiencies and working capital management. Turning to Liquidity we ended the quarter with $11.4 million in unrestricted cash and cash equivalents compared to 2.2 million at the year end 2025. The increase reflects the successful closing of our strategic transaction, including the 10 million financing and the additional approximately $6.5 million of cash associated with the Oratec acquisition. As we move through 2026, our focus remains on disciplined cash management, improving operational efficiency and positioning the business for scalable growth and long term profitability. With that, we will now open the call for Q and A, followed by closing remarks for Mark. OPERATOR We will now begin the Question and Answer session. To ask a question, you may press Star then one on your telephone keypad. If you are using a speakerphone, please pick up your handset before pressing the keys. If at any time your question has Been addressed and you would like to withdraw your question. Please press star then two. At this time we will pause momentarily to assemble our roster. The first question comes from Dr. Yale Jen with Laidlaw Company. Please go ahead. Yale Jen (Equity Analyst) Good morning and thanks for asking. Addressing the question, my first one is that in terms of SG&A, we understand the first quarter figure was set due to the shipment timing of shipments. So do we anticipate, should we anticipate for the second and third quarter Mark Grant (President and Chief Executive Officer) you will get back to the level similar to last year and it sort of make up for the differences. And then I have a follow up. Hey Yale, I think that's a fair assumption, you know, and I think it is going to bridge across the second and third quarter so that. Yale Jen (Equity Analyst) Okay, so maybe just on top of that question, the last, under the last earning calls you guys suggest that 2026 total RoCC revenue will be similar to 2025 and giving a little bit lower first quarter figure this year. Should we anticipate additional growth in the remaining three quarters again to match up to the total revenue similar to last year? Mark Grant (President and Chief Executive Officer) I think some of the things that most people don't appreciate and we probably didn't explain well is we had a manufacturing move from Fremont, California to Massachusetts.. We also had a complete facility move within Massachusetts. and we started a contract manufacturer all at the same time. And so all of these things led with our cash constraints to timing issues on everything. I would expect that we have similar to last year and I would also expect the exit trajectory to be better than it is an entry trajectory.. Yale Jen (Equity Analyst) Okay, great, that's very helpful. Maybe the last question here is the ReWalk units in German, the leads in German, maybe also in United States. Could you give a little bit color on both of those? And thanks. Almag Adar (Chief Financial Officer) So the revenues in Germany specifically increased almost 25% quarter versus quarter in ReWalk and in total the increase is 11% year over year. For rework revenues we ended with 1.6 million compared to 1.3 million in prior quarter. Yale Jen (Equity Analyst) Okay, okay, that's very helpful and thanks a lot. And I get back to the team. Almag Adar (Chief Financial Officer) Yeah, thank you. OPERATOR The next question comes from Dr. Rem with HC Wainwright. Please go ahead. RK Thank you. This is RK from HC Wainwright. A couple of questions from me, Mark Grant (President and Chief Executive Officer) Mark and Mark, just trying to understand the RK supply working capital issue. What's the nature of that and do you think you have already resolved it or do you feel you can get it resolved soon so that the flow of product into the market during Q2 and Q3 is going to be smooth? And additionally, you know, I'm not sure you stated this in the call. Is there a book of sale that you can give us so that we understand what is expected over the next couple of quarters? Mark Grant (President and Chief Executive Officer) Yeah, so I'll address the first part. I'll let Almag pick up the second part. So by and large we are going to resolve the issues with AlterG as we go through and exit this quarter. Those were RK, those were basically and really relegated to the cash constraints and procurement as we pushed into this quarter. And so it's a timing issue for us. As we stated, we have a backlog of AlterG sales that we're woRKing through today and we expect those sales to gain momentum as we exit the quarter and move into Q3. But I will caution everybody, I don't believe I'm going to resolve everything this quarter. I think that we'll actually probably carry some into next quarter. But during Q3 we should become wholly resolved and be in really good shape. And as far as the outlook, and again Almag can give some color on as far as the outlook, we're going to continue to hold that revenues will be similar to last year and you should see the trajectory change as we exit the year. But this has been a substantial restructuring of the company moving to the new strategic partner, changing facilities and as we get through this lift and start to really mature things, we'll start to give a forward looking forecast. But right now we're going to hold. RK Okay, thanks. This is Elmog, anything to add? Elmog Nothing special. As Mark mentioned, we are not providing this year guidance but we're expecting like to be similar to previous year and to do some catch up in Q1. RK Okay, great. And then on the gross margin decline of 800bps, how much of that is tariff versus FX versus you know, either volume or absorption? Almag Adar (Chief Financial Officer) So it's a good question. Rk, like the, the fluctuation in the exchange rate together with the tariff is covered like between 75 to 85% from this gap compared to prior year quarter. The other is mainly the absorption that we mentioned related to the production reduction. RK Okay, a couple more questions from me, sorry. On the, you know, on the Medicare Advantage coverage that you have, you know, from Aetna, Humana and United Healthcare, you know, is there a way you can give us additional commentary, you know, regarding you know, what's the traditional Medicare and what's the conversion rate that you're seeing, you know, especially on submitted claims. Mark Grant (President and Chief Executive Officer) So when I came into the business I did an assessment of the business and part of that Assessment was actually looking at moving products into the payer landscape and what it takes. If I look back over the innovation trail of lifeward, they did a phenomenal job of innovation where they actually had some gaps were how they addressed payers. You know the story over the last three years where they really started working with Medicare to gain coding, to gain pricing, and then now we started to get coverage and payer placement across other payers. We have a team in the background that's been working with us since I joined the company to assess the situation and to build it. Now you've seen Aetna United and Humana come on board and our pipeline continues to grow. We need to push further into the private placement, into the market, the blues of the world, if you will. And so that pipeline continues to build. Part of this structure is that we're moving to our channel partners which we announced, like Verita Nuro, who have deeper transitions into payers. And so my goal is to get to every patient everywhere in two forms, one of which is through their payer and secondarily is to get to them in the community. And so you're asking a great question. This is the piece of the business that has great overlap with my path and that we're building on today. I don't have a direct answer for the pipeline right now as we continue to shift that pipeline from us to our channel partners and continue to build out the distribution network, but there's a lot more to come on this. It's probably the most exciting piece about the business outside of innovation. Thanks. RK And talking about shifting the pipeline, not only you have the products from Aratech, but now you also have an upper body exoskeleton product which you brought onto your portfolio. So since there are quite a few moving parts, how are you managing your resources and also navigating through all these changes? And you yourself are kind of getting settled into this. So I'm just trying to understand what's the trajectory of things, how should we think about growth from here? And is this a two year plan or is this a five year plan? Mark Grant (President and Chief Executive Officer) So I think a couple of things, one of which is everybody should understand that I've got three decades of actually managing these particular revenue cycles. So they're very comfortable to me. Number two, and just to redescribe the Oratech transaction, so there is little to no interaction from our staff with what needs to happen with ORMD0801 oral insulin that's going to be handled with Oramed and also is pre funded and so I'm the only one who actually has overlap with that from a strategic perspective. So it doesn't have any drain on resources. So that's one thing that's really exciting as we bring in the new upper body exoskeleton and I'm glad you mentioned that. And we start to work against commercialization and finalizing MVP and bringing that to market. You know that, that you're going to find that we're going to be known as an innovator, an aggregator and an exploiter of commercial models. Right. And those, those in particular are channel partners. You know, we're looking for partners and have partners secured that have these patents at hand going out and finding these patients one by one. The needle in the haystack is definitely not a good business model. And that's why we've made the conscious shift. We're going to work with KANO partners that excel in these areas like the core life of the world. You know that we work with workers comp where they have these patients at hand, they can market to them and it's a complementary therapy. You should expect the same for all of our portfolio. That's where the vast amount of my experience was spent, was developing Channel Partners, driving innovation and execution and then obviously the payer landscape with my background. So those tips are super exciting and needed for the company. But going to areas where we actually can get to patients directly with Channel Partners is probably one of the most important things to me going forward. RK Thank you. Thanks for taking all my questions, Mark and Almond. Almag Adar (Chief Financial Officer) Yeah, thank you. OPERATOR This concludes our question and answer session. I would like to turn the conference back over to Mark Grant for any closing remarks. Mark Grant (President and Chief Executive Officer) Drew, thank you. Listen. We believe that lifeboard is entering into a new phase as more diversified biomedical innovation company with improving financial flexibility and a clear path for profitability. We remain focused on executing our operational priorities, scaling our neurorehabilitation platform and advancing strategic partnerships while fostering a unique and potentially very high value event with our biomedical platform. Thank you again for joining us today. We look forward to updating you on our progress next quarter. Thank you 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.