Question-and-Answer Session
[Operator Instructions]. And your first question comes from the line of Salveen Kochnover of Jefferies. Please proceed.
Salveen Kochnover - Jefferies & Company
Hi, thank you for taking my questions. Jeff, could you provide us with some expense line guidance for '08?
Jeffrey H. Cooper - Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
We are not providing specific expense line guidance. What we have said is that we do expect our R&D and our SG&A spending to increase in 2008 versus 2007 mostly because of a full year related to our Kuvan commercialization activities, as well as additional spending for PEG-PAL, additional spending related to our early research program and so on, but we are not providing specific details on line item guidance for the operating expenses.
Salveen Kochnover - Jefferies & Company
Great. And then in terms of turning profitable is your guidance for that second half of '08?
Jeffrey H. Cooper - Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Well, we have said that we expect to be profitable for the full year of 2008, the majority of that would be reflected in the second half of 2008.
Salveen Kochnover - Jefferies & Company
Great. And in terms of Kuvan, when do you think that we will have all the 120 to 130 PKU centers on board with enrolling patients into the BBPS and how long are physicians currently screening patients for Kuvan responsiveness?
Stephen Aselage - Senior Vice President, Global Commercial Development
Right now we have a 81 of 130 PKU clinics that have referred patients into BPPS to start therapy. I can't give you a specific on when all 130 will have patients and certainly most of those who have not referred in are planning on sending patients in the short-term future. As far as screening, it's a little bit difficult to say, it's still pretty early. Certainly during the EAP pre-launch or pre-approval portion, we saw physicians screening for two weeks to four weeks as a matter of routine. Whether that continues routinely with commercial product is hard to project, but the initial scripts we are seeing are for at least 30 days, which makes us feel that it's likely that they will screen for 30 days. Again, I have to emphasize it's very early and I can't say that for certain.
Salveen Kochnover - Jefferies & Company
Great. And then one last question. Could you comment on your experience of getting coverage for Naglazyme ex-U.S., primarily in Brazil and Turkey and the Middle East?
- To read the full transcript on Seeking Alpha, click here »
