STOCKHOLM, April 28, 2020 - As a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our last quarter (ending
The COVID-19 pandemic has swept like a wave over the world affecting all our markets and our business, with an increasing effect in April. In
Since COVID-19 became a pandemic, Elekta has managed well through the crisis, balancing our commitments to our customers with the safety of our employees. The treatment utilization rate in our installed base has been maintained at nearly normal levels (around 97 percent), despite very challenging conditions. This was possible due to a strong local presence and our capability to service remotely with our IntelliMax system. The remote fix-rate has increased globally with 12 percentage points and in
Order intake and sales have been negatively affected during the quarter with an increasing effect in April due to limited access to hospitals and delayed starts of installations as a consequence of lock down of countries. Despite this, Elekta has managed to attain new orders, including three new Elekta Unity orders the recent weeks, one of it with a digital signing ceremony via internet. We have not experienced any order cancellation in the quarter.
EBITA margin in the fourth quarter will be affected by lower revenue, however, we will be able to leverage from cost and productivity measures, supporting an increase in the margin compared to the first nine months. We will continue and strengthen productivity initiatives in the next fiscal year to mitigate the effects of COVID-19.
The continuity of our supply chain has benefitted from our dual source strategy and the fact that Elekta and its suppliers being labelled essential business by relevant government authorities. For Linacs we are fully operational in both our sites: Crawley and
We are emphasizing our digital applications in order to enable our customers to work more effectively remotely and with less physical contact. Elekta is offering free usage for 90 days of our new application ProKnow, which enables clinicians to create, modify and release treatments plans remotely as a way to maintain cancer care during the pandemic.
Since the end of January, we have further strengthened our already strong financial position with a low net debt to EBITDA ratio. We expect our available cash at the end of
"Elekta will be here until cancer isn't, which will be long after the corona virus. The underlying demand for radiotherapy and the increased cancer incidence in the world will not change. In fact, access to high-precision radiotherapy with less fractions and reduced side effects is even more important now as it limits the exposure to potential infection by reducing visits at hospitals," says
Today, at
President and CEO, and Gustaf Salford, CFO, to discuss the updated outlook and the situation around COVID-19. To take part in the conference call, please dial the numbers below or watch via the web link below:
Conference ID: 5083929
SE: +46 8 566 18467
Our full-year report for fiscal year 2019/20 is scheduled for release on
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For further information, please contact:
Tel: +46 76 611 76 25, e-mail: cecilia.ketels@elekta.com
Time zone: CET (Central European Time)
Tel: +46 70 865 8012, e-mail: Mattias.Thorsson@elekta.com
Time zone: CET: Central European Time
This is information that
About Elekta
For almost five decades, Elekta has been a leader in precision radiation medicine. Our more than 4,000 employees worldwide are committed to ensuring everyone in the world with cancer has access to - and benefits from - more precise, personalized radiotherapy treatments. Headquartered in
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