MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS INC
10-Q, 1998-02-09
IN VITRO & IN VIVO DIAGNOSTIC SUBSTANCES
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                                    Form 10-Q

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                                   (Mark One)

           [X] QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                For the quarterly period ended December 31, 1997

                                       OR

          [ ] TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

        For the transition period from............... to ...............

                         Commission file number 1-10546


                           MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


                               Delaware 36-3078632
              (State of Incorporation) (I.R.S. Identification No.)


                            10030 Barnes Canyon Road
                           San Diego, California 92121
                                 (619) 452-0681
               (Address, including zip code, and telephone number,
              including area code, of principal executive offices)


Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required
   to be filed by Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant
  was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing
                       requirements for the past 90 days.

                                    X Yes No

       The number of shares outstanding of the registrant's common stock,
         $.01 par value, as of January 23, 1998 was 17,828,327 shares.



                                     <PAGE>




                              INDEX                                     PAGE

PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION

       Item 1 - Financial Statements (unaudited)

       1. Consolidated Balance Sheets                                     3

           March 31, 1997 (audited) and December 31, 1997

       2. Consolidated Statements of Operations                           4

           Three Months Ended December 31, 1996 and 1997
           Nine Months Ended December 31, 1996 and 1997

       3. Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows                           5

           Nine Months Ended December 31, 1996 and 1997

       4. Notes to Financial Statements                                   6

       Item 2 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of
       Financial Condition and Results of Operations                      8


PART II -OTHER INFORMATION

       Item 1 - Legal Proceedings                                        13

       Item 2 - Changes in Securities                                    13

       Item 3 - Defaults Upon Senior Securities                          13

       Item 4 - Submission of Matters to a Vote of Securities Holders    13

       Item 5 - Other Information                                        13

       Item 6 - Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K                         13

           (a) Exhibits
           (b) Reports on Form 8-K

       Signatures                                                        14

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                       MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

                               CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

                    (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)

                                                                             December 31,
                                                               March 31,        1997
                                                                 1997        (Unaudited)
                                                              ------------  --------------
                           ASSETS
<S>                                                                 <C>           <C>  
Current assets:

   Cash and cash equivalents                                        $ 587         $ 811
   Marketable securities, available-for-sale                       40,827        24,914
   Accounts and notes receivable                                      902           992
   License rights                                                   8,500         8,500
   Inventories                                                        342           745
   Prepaid expenses and other assets                                  249           260
                                                              ------------  ------------
        Total current assets                                       51,407        36,222
                                                              ------------  ------------

Property and equipment, at cost:
   Building and improvements                                       14,544        14,544
   Equipment, furniture and fixtures                                4,567         4,541
   Construction in progress                                           511           339
                                                              ------------  ------------
                                                                   19,622        19,424
   Less:  Accumulated depreciation and amortization                 6,434         7,162
                                                              ------------  ------------

        Total property and equipment                               13,188        12,262
                                                              ------------  ------------

Other assets:
   Patents and license rights, net of amortization
       $1,114 and $1,214, respectively                                341           255
   Certificate of deposit, pledged                                  3,000         3,000
   Other assets, net                                                2,223         2,199
                                                              ------------  ------------
        Total other assets                                          5,564         5,454
                                                              ------------  ------------

                                                                 $ 70,159      $ 53,938
                                                              ============  ============

            LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities:
   Current portion of long-term debt                              $ 1,267       $ 1,267
   Accounts payable and accrued liabilities                         4,684         6,694
   Compensation accruals                                            1,613         1,064
                                                              ------------  ------------
        Total current liabilities                                   7,564         9,025
                                                              ------------  ------------

Long-term debt, net of current portion                              7,349         6,403

Other noncurrent liabilities                                        3,500         1,500

Commitments and contingencies (Note 2)

Stockholders' equity:
   Common Stock, $.01 par value, 40,000,000 shares
     authorized, 17,745,897 and 17,828,287 shares
     issued and outstanding, respectively                             177           178
   Additional paid-in capital                                     127,483       128,031
   Accumulated deficit                                            (75,469)      (90,791)
   Unrealized loss on available-for-sale securities                   (82)          (45)
   Less 40,470 shares of treasury stock, at cost                     (363)         (363)
                                                              ------------  ------------

        Total stockholders' equity                                 51,746        37,010
                                                              ------------  ------------

                                                                 $ 70,159      $ 53,938
                                                              ============  ============

</TABLE>
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                       MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

                                          CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

                               (Unaudited; dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)



                                                                    Three Months Ended             Nine Months Ended
                                                                       December 31,                  December 31,
                                                                    1996           1997           1996           1997
                                                                -------------  -------------  -------------- -------------
<S>                                                                  <C>            <C>             <C>           <C>    

Revenues:
   Revenues under collaborative agreements                           $ 1,091        $ 1,250         $ 3,250       $ 3,845
   Product and royalty revenues                                          216            123             426           428
   License fees                                                        5,700              -           5,725             -
                                                                -------------  -------------  -------------- -------------
                                                                       7,007          1,373           9,401         4,273
                                                                -------------  -------------  -------------- -------------
Operating expenses:
   Research and development costs                                      2,354          2,939           7,318         7,804
   Costs of products sold                                              1,078          1,468           3,707         3,949
   Selling, general and administrative expenses                        1,866          3,110           5,429         8,901
   Other nonrecurring charges                                          3,000              -           3,000             -
                                                                -------------  -------------  -------------- -------------
                                                                       8,298          7,517          19,454        20,654
                                                                -------------  -------------  -------------- -------------

   Loss from operations                                               (1,291)        (6,144)        (10,053)      (16,381)

Interest expense                                                        (203)          (176)           (616)         (553)
Interest income                                                          615            417           1,713         1,611
                                                                -------------  -------------  -------------- -------------

Net loss                                                              $ (879)      $ (5,903)       $ (8,956)    $ (15,323)
                                                                =============  =============  ============== =============

Net loss per common share (basic and fully diluted) (Note 3)         $ (0.05)       $ (0.33)        $ (0.54)      $ (0.86)
                                                                =============  =============  ============== =============

Weighted average common shares outstanding                            17,572         17,813          16,651        17,778
                                                                =============  =============  ============== =============
</TABLE>
<PAGE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                              MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

                                 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

                                   (Unaudited; dollars in thousands)
                                                                                Nine Months Ended
                                                                                   December 31,
                                                                               1996           1997
                                                                           -------------  --------------
<S>                                                                            <C>            <C>       

Cash flows from operating activities:
   Net loss                                                                    $ (8,956)      $ (15,323)
   Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash
     used in operating activities:
      Depreciation and amortization                                               1,082             903
      Write-off of former Nycomed territory license rights                        3,000               -
      Loss on disposals of property and equipment                                     -               2
      Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
       Receivables                                                                  (27)           (104)
       Inventories                                                                  296            (404)
       Prepaid expenses and other assets                                           (455)              3
       Accounts payable and accrued liabilities                                      87           2,010
       Compensation accruals                                                        (29)           (548)
                                                                           -------------  --------------

             Cash used in operating activities                                   (5,002)        (13,461)
                                                                           -------------  --------------

Cash flows from investing activities:
   Purchases of property and equipment                                             (634)         (1,215)
   Proceeds from sale of property and equipment                                       4               4
   Additions to patents and license rights                                          (15)            (15)
   Purchase of license rights from Shionogi                                      (3,000)         (2,000)
   Purchase of license rights from Nycomed                                       (2,000)              -
   (Increase) decrease in other assets                                             (271)             26
   (Increase) decrease in marketable securities                                 (31,071)         15,951
                                                                           -------------  --------------

             Cash provided by (used in) investing activities                    (36,987)         12,751
                                                                           -------------  --------------

Cash flows from financing activities:
   Net proceeds from sale/leaseback transaction                                       -           1,331
   Net proceeds from public offering of Common Stock                             34,086               -
   Net proceeds from stock options exercised                                      1,158             549
   Principal payments on long-term debt                                            (942)           (946)
                                                                           -------------  --------------

             Cash provided by financing activities                               34,302             934
                                                                           -------------  --------------

Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents                                 (7,687)            224

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period                                   12,542             587
                                                                           -------------  --------------
                                                                                           
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period                                        $ 4,855           $ 811
                                                                           =============  ==============

Supplemental cash flow disclosures:

   Interest income received                                                       $ 804         $ 1,727
                                                                           =============  ==============
                                                                                           
   Interest paid                                                                  $ 592           $ 612
                                                                           =============  ==============
</TABLE>
<PAGE>


NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS


 (1)  Basis of Presentation-


         These   interim   Consolidated   Financial   Statements   of  Molecular
     Biosystems,  Inc.  and  Subsidiaries  (the  "Company")  should  be  read in
     conjunction with the Consolidated  Financial  Statements of the Company and
     related Notes filed with the  Company's  Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
     year ended March 31, 1997.


         These interim Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company have not
     been audited by independent public accountants.  However, in the opinion of
     management,  all  adjustments  required  for a  fair  presentation  of  the
     financial  position of the Company as of December 31, 1997, and the results
     of its operations for the nine-months ended December 31, 1996 and 1997, and
     its cash flows for the  nine-months  ended December 31, 1996 and 1997, have
     been made.  The results of  operations  for these  interim  periods are not
     necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full year.


 (2)  Commitments and Contingencies-


              On  July  31,  1997,   the  Company  and  its  marketing   partner
     Mallinckrodt Inc.,  ("Mallinckrodt")  filed suit (the "MBI Case") in United
     States  District Court for the District of Columbia  against four potential
     competitors - Sonus  Pharmaceuticals,  Inc  ("Sonus"),  Nycomed  Imaging AS
     ("Nycomed"), ImaRx Pharmaceutical Corp. ("ImaRx") and its marketing partner
     DuPont   Merck   Pharmaceutical   Corp.   ("DuPont   Merck"),   and  Bracco
     International  BV ("Bracco") - seeking  declarations  that certain of their
     ultrasound contrast agent patents are invalid. On the same day, the Company
     and  Mallinckrodt  filed  counterclaims  in cases filed  against the FDA by
     Bracco,  Sonus,  ImaRx and DuPont Merck in which the Company had intervened
     as a  defendant  seeking  the same  relief  as in the MBI  Case.  The court
     subsequently   dismissed   these   counterclaims    following   the   FDA's
     reclassification ruling (as previously reported), and resulting mootness of
     the proceedings against the FDA.


              The  complaint  filed by the Company and  Mallinckrodt  in the MBI
     Case alleges that each of the  defendants'  patents is invalid on a variety
     of  independent  grounds  under U.S.  patent law. In addition to requesting
     that all of the  patents in question be  declared  invalid,  the  complaint
     requests a  declaration  that,  contrary to  defendants'  contentions,  the
     Company and Mallinckrodt do not infringe the defendants'  patents, and asks
     that  defendants  be  enjoined  from  proceeding  against  the  Company and
     Mallinckrodt for infringement  until the status of defendants'  patents has
     been  determined  by the  court or the U.S.  Patent  and  Trademark  Office
     ("PTO"). The complaint alleges that each defendant has claimed or is likely
     to claim  that its  patent or  patents  cover  OPTISON(TM),  the  Company's
     second-generation  ultrasound  contrast agent,  and will attempt to prevent
     its commercialization.


              All of the defendants  except Nycomed filed motions to dismiss the
     complaint on jurisdictional  grounds. On January 5, 1998, the court hearing
     the MBI Case dismissed each of the defendants  except Nycomed,  ruling that
     the court lacked  jurisdiction  over those  defendants  with respect to the
     Company's  claims of patent  invalidity  and  noninfringement.  The court's
     ruling does not purport to rule on the merits of the Company's claims;  the
     dismissal was based solely on jurisdictional grounds.


              Following  Sonus's dismissal as a defendant in the MBI Case, Sonus
     activated the patent infringement lawsuit ("Sonus Case") which it had filed
     in August 1997 against the Company and  Mallinckrodt  in the United  States
     District Court for the Western  District of Washington.  Sonus's  complaint
     alleges that the  manufacture  and sale of  OPTISON(TM)  by the Company and
     Mallinckrodt  infringe two patents  owned by Sonus.  These  patents are the
     same patents which are currently in  reexamination at the PTO (as described
     in the next paragraph),  and are the same patents for which the Company was
     seeking a declaration of invalidity in the MBI Case. Although the complaint
     was filed in August  1997,  Sonus had agreed not to proceed  with the Sonus
     Case until the jurisdictional motions were decided in the MBI Case.


              Beginning  in July 1997,  the Company  received  the first of five
     notices from the PTO granting the  Company's  petitions  for  reexamination
     which it had filed with  respect to five  patents  held by three  potential
     competitors,  Sonus,  Nycomed and ImaRx.  Each of the five  notices  stated
     there  was a  substantial  new  question  of  patentability  raised  by the
     Company's petitions with respect to all claims of the patents.  Each of the
     patents  currently  in the  reexamination  process is related to the use of
     perfluorocarbon  gases in ultrasound  contrast agents and is included among
     the patents for which the Company was seeking a  declaration  of invalidity
     in the MBI  Case  (and  for  which  the  Company  is  continuing  to seek a
     declaration of invalidity in the case of Nycomed's patents).


              In November and December  1997,  the PTO issued office  actions in
     connection with the Company's patent reexamination  petitions filed against
     Sonus and Nycomed, respectively. The PTO office actions reject all relevant
     claims of the patents  owned by Sonus and Nycomed  involved in the MBI Case
     and the Sonus Case, based on prior art not previously  disclosed to the PTO
     by Sonus and Nycomed during  prosecution of their patent  applications.  If
     maintained  through further  proceedings  before the patent examiner and on
     any appeal,  the PTO rejections will invalidate the patents which Sonus and
     Nycomed are  attempting to assert against the Company and  Mallinckrodt  to
     block the manufacture and sale of OPTISON(TM).


              Litigation or administrative proceedings relating to these matters
     could result in a substantial cost to the Company; and given the complexity
     of the legal and factual issues, the inherent  vicissitudes and uncertainty
     of litigation,  and other factors, there can be no assurance of a favorable
     outcome. An unfavorable outcome could have a material adverse effect on the
     Company's   business,   financial  condition  and  results  of  operations.
     Moreover,  there can be no assurance  that, in the event of an  unfavorable
     outcome,  the Company would be able to obtain a license to any  proprietary
     rights  that may be  necessary  to  commercialize  OPTISON(TM),  either  on
     acceptable  terms or at all.  If the  Company  were  required  to  obtain a
     license  necessary to commercialize  OPTISON(TM),  the Company's failure or
     inability to do so would have a material  adverse  effect on the  Company's
     business, financial condition and results of operations.





 (3)      Earnings per Share -


              In December  1997,  the Company  adopted  Statement  of  Financial
     Accounting  Standards  No.  128,  "Earnings  Per  Share"  (SFAS  128).  The
     statement   specifies  the   computation,   presentation,   and  disclosure
     requirements  for earnings per share (EPS).  The adoption of this statement
     had no material impact to the Company due to its capital  structure,  which
     consists solely of one class of stock.





     PART I-  FINANCIAL INFORMATION


Item 2     -   MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND 
               RESULTS OF OPERATIONS


         The  following  management  discussion  and analysis  should be read in
conjunction with (1) the current  Consolidated  Financial Statements and (2) the
Company's  Consolidated  Financial Statements and related Notes and Management's
Discussion and Analysis of Financial  Condition and Results of Operations in its
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 1997.


         From time to time, the Company may publish  forward-looking  statements
relating  to  such  matters  as  anticipated  financial  performance,   business
prospects,   technological  developments,  new  products,  regulatory  approval,
research and development  activities and similar  matters.  A variety of factors
could cause the Company's  actual  results and  experience to differ  materially
from the  Company's  anticipated  results or other  expectations.  The risks and
uncertainties  that may  affect the  operations,  performance,  development  and
results of the Company's  business include the expense and uncertain  outcome of
the  litigation  described  under the caption  "Recent  Events,"  including  the
possibility  of  injunctive  relief  to  competitors  prohibiting  the  sale  of
OPTISON(TM);  a ruling by the Patent and Trademark Office ("PTO") in the pending
patent reexamination  proceedings favoring  competitors'  patents;  delays or an
inability  to bring  OPTISON(TM)  to market in Europe as a result of  regulatory
delays or  patent  litigation;  difficulties  and  delays  with  respect  to the
performance of clinical  trials;  delays by regulatory  authorities in approving
additional  indications for OPTISON(TM),  including the evaluation of myocardial
perfusion;  manufacturing  problems;  difficulties  and delays  with  respect to
marketing  and  sales  activities;   general   uncertainties   accompanying  the
development and  introduction of new products;  and other risk factors  reported
from  time to time in the  Company's  reports  filed  with  the  Securities  and
Exchange Commission.


Recent Events


         On  December  31,  1997,  the  Company's  new  drug   application   for
OPTISON(TM),   the  Company's   second-generation  contrast  agent  for  cardiac
ultrasound   imaging,   was  approved  by  the  United   States  Food  and  Drug
Administration  (the FDA). This approval permits the marketing of OPTISON(TM) in
the United States for use in patients with suboptimal echocardiagrams to opacify
the left  ventricle  and to  improve  the  delineation  of the left  ventricular
endocardial borders.


         OPTISON(TM),  the first of the  perfluorocarbon  containing  ultrasound
agents  to reach  the  market,  enables  physicians  to  enhance  resolution  of
anatomical  structure where ultrasound alone is inadequate.  Ultrasound  cardiac
imaging has several  advantages  over other  imaging  methods.  It is  minimally
invasive,  relatively  inexpensive  and can quickly  provide a real-time  image.
OPTISON(TM) helps increase the effectiveness of  echocardiography  in diagnosing
heart  disease  by  introducing  gas-filled  microspheres  into the  blood.  The
microspheres travel in the blood stream to the left ventricle of the heart where
the  microspheres  reflect the soundwaves  generated from ultrasound  equipment,
enabling the development of a clearer, more descriptive ultrasound image.


         On January 27, 1998,  the European  Union's  Committee for  Proprietary
Medicinal Products ("CPMP") of the European  Medicines  Evaluation Agency (EMEA)
recommended  the approval of  OPTISON(TM).  The regulatory file was submitted to
the EMEA under the  centralized  procedure in which a single  license is granted
for the 15 member states of the European Union.  The marketing  authorization is
expected to be granted by the European  Commission  within several months.  Upon
EMEA approval, OPTISON(TM) will be sold by Mallinckrodt, Inc. ("Mallinckrodt").


         On July 31, 1997,  the Company and its marketing  partner  Mallinckrodt
filed suit (the "MBI Case") in United States  District Court for the District of
Columbia  against  four  potential  competitors  -  Sonus  Pharmaceuticals,  Inc
("Sonus"), Nycomed Imaging AS ("Nycomed"),  ImaRx Pharmaceutical Corp. ("ImaRx")
and its marketing partner DuPont Merck  Pharmaceutical  Corp.  ("DuPont Merck"),
and Bracco  International  BV ("Bracco")  seeking  declarations  that certain of
their  ultrasound  contrast  agent  patents are  invalid.  On the same day,  the
Company and Mallinckrodt  filed  counterclaims in cases filed against the FDA by
Bracco,  Sonus,  ImaRx and DuPont Merck in which the Company had intervened as a
defendant  seeking  the same relief as in the MBI Case.  The court  subsequently
dismissed these counterclaims  following the FDA's  reclassification  ruling (as
previously reported), and resulting mootness of the proceedings against the FDA.


         The  complaint  filed by the Company and  Mallinckrodt  in the MBI Case
alleges  that  each of the  defendants'  patents  is  invalid  on a  variety  of
independent grounds under U.S. patent law. In addition to requesting that all of
the  patents  in  question  be  declared  invalid,   the  complaint  requests  a
declaration  that,  contrary  to  defendants'   contentions,   the  Company  and
Mallinckrodt do not infringe the defendants'  patents,  and asks that defendants
be  enjoined  from  proceeding   against  the  Company  and   Mallinckrodt   for
infringement until the status of defendants'  patents has been determined by the
court or the PTO. The  complaint  alleges that each  defendant has claimed or is
likely to claim that its  patent or patents  cover  OPTISON(TM),  the  Company's
second-generation  ultrasound  contrast  agent,  and will attempt to prevent its
commercialization.


         All of the  defendants  except  Nycomed  filed  motions to dismiss  the
complaint on jurisdictional  grounds.  On January 5, 1998, the court hearing the
MBI Case dismissed each of the defendants except Nycomed,  ruling that the court
lacked  jurisdiction  over those defendants with respect to the Company's claims
of patent invalidity and noninfringement. The court's ruling does not purport to
rule on the merits of the  Company's  claims;  the dismissal was based solely on
jurisdictional grounds.


         Following  Sonus's  dismissal  as a  defendant  in the MBI Case,  Sonus
activated the patent  infringement  lawsuit ("Sonus Case") which it had filed in
August 1997 against the Company and  Mallinckrodt  in the United States District
Court for the Western District of Washington. Sonus's complaint alleges that the
manufacture and sale of OPTISON(TM) by the Company and Mallinckrodt infringe two
patents  owned by Sonus.  These patents are the same patents which are currently
in reexamination  at the PTO (as described in the next  paragraph),  and are the
same patents for which the Company was seeking a  declaration  of  invalidity in
the MBI Case.  Although the complaint was filed in August 1997, Sonus had agreed
not to proceed with the Sonus Case until the jurisdictional motions were decided
in the MBI Case.


         Beginning in July 1997, the Company  received the first of five notices
from the PTO granting the  Company's  petitions for  reexamination  which it had
filed with respect to five patents held by three potential  competitors,  Sonus,
Nycomed and ImaRx.  Each of the five notices stated there was a substantial  new
question of patentability  raised by the Company's petitions with respect to all
claims  of the  patents.  Each of the  patents  currently  in the  reexamination
process is related to the use of  perfluorocarbon  gases in ultrasound  contrast
agents and is  included  among the  patents  for which the Company was seeking a
declaration  of  invalidity  in the MBI  Case  (and for  which  the  Company  is
continuing  to  seek a  declaration  of  invalidity  in the  case  of  Nycomed's
patents).


         In  November  and  December  1997,  the PTO  issued  office  actions in
connection with the Company's patent reexamination petitions filed against Sonus
and Nycomed,  respectively. The PTO office actions reject all relevant claims of
the patents  owned by Sonus and  Nycomed  involved in the MBI Case and the Sonus
Case,  based on  prior  art not  previously  disclosed  to the PTO by Sonus  and
Nycomed during prosecution of their patent  applications.  If maintained through
further  proceedings  before  the patent  examiner  and on any  appeal,  the PTO
rejections will invalidate the patents which Sonus and Nycomed are attempting to
assert against the Company and Mallinckrodt to block the manufacture and sale of
OPTISON(TM).


         Litigation  or  administrative  proceedings  relating to these  matters
could result in a substantial  cost to the Company;  and given the complexity of
the legal and factual  issues,  the inherent  vicissitudes  and  uncertainty  of
litigation, and other factors, there can be no assurance of a favorable outcome.
An  unfavorable  outcome could have a material  adverse  effect on the Company's
business, financial condition and results of operations.  Moreover, there can be
no assurance that, in the event of an unfavorable  outcome, the Company would be
able to obtain a license to any  proprietary  rights  that may be  necessary  to
commercialize OPTISON(TM),  either on acceptable terms or at all. If the Company
were required to obtain a license  necessary to commercialize  OPTISON(TM),  the
Company's  failure or inability to do so would have a material adverse effect on
the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations.


Liquidity and Capital Resources


         At December  31,  1997,  the  Company had net working  capital of $27.2
million  compared to $43.8 million at March 31, 1997.  Cash,  cash  equivalents,
marketable  securities and certificates of deposit pledged were $28.7 million at
December 31, 1997 compared to $44.4 million at March 31, 1997. In June 1997, the
Company  entered  into an  equipment  leasing  agreement  with Mellon US Leasing
("Mellon") for a lease line of $1.6 million with a term of 48 months.


         For the next several years,  the Company  expects to incur  substantial
additional  expenditures  associated  with  product  development.   The  Company
anticipates  that its existing  resources,  including the proceeds of the public
offering in May 1996 and interest thereon, plus payments under its collaborative
agreement with Mallinckrodt,  will enable the Company to fund its operations for
at least the next twelve  months.  The Company  continually  reviews its product
development  activities in an effort to allocate its resources to those products
that the  Company  believes  have the  greatest  commercial  potential.  Factors
considered by the Company in determining the products to pursue may include, but
are not limited to, the projected  markets,  potential for regulatory  approval,
technical  feasibility  and estimated  costs to bring the product to the market.
Based upon these  factors,  the  Company  may from time to time  reallocate  its
resources among its product development activities.


         The Company may pursue a number of options to raise  additional  funds,
including borrowings; lease arrangements; collaborative research and development
arrangements with pharmaceutical  companies;  the licensing of product rights to
third  parties;   or  additional  public  and  private  financing,   as  capital
requirements  change as a result of strategic,  competitive,  technological  and
regulatory factors. There can be no assurance that funds from these sources will
be available on favorable terms, or at all.


Results of Operations


         Revenues Under Collaborative  Agreements.  Revenues under collaborative
agreements were $1.3 million and $3.8 million for the three-month and nine-month
periods  ended  December 31, 1997  compared to $1.1 million and $3.3 million for
the same  periods in the prior year.  These  revenues  in both years  consist of
quarterly  payments  to support  clinical  trials,  regulatory  submissions  and
product  development  received from  Mallinckrodt  under the  Company's  amended
agreement with Mallinckrodt which the Company entered into in September 1995.


         Product and Royalty Revenues. Revenues from product sales and royalties
were  $123,000 and $428,000 for the  three-month  and  nine-month  periods ended
December 31, 1997, compared to $216,000 and $426,000 for the same periods in the
prior year.  Product  revenues  result from the Company's sales of ALBUNEX(R) to
Mallinckrodt  which are  recognized  upon shipment of the product.  The transfer
price for the Company's sales is determined  under the Company's  agreement with
Mallinckrodt  and is equal to 40% of  Mallinckrodt's  net sales price to its end
users of the product. Royalty revenues were received under a licensing agreement
between the Company and Abbott  Laboratories for the Company's patented in vitro
diagnostic DNA probe technology.


         Costs of Products Sold.  Cost of products sold totaled $1.5 million and
$3.9 million for the three-month and nine-month periods ended December 31, 1997,
resulting in a negative gross profit  margin.  This negative gross profit margin
was due to the fact that the current low levels of production  are  insufficient
to cover the  Company's  fixed  manufacturing  overhead  expenses.  For the same
periods in the prior year,  cost of products  sold totaled $1.1 million and $3.7
million.  The Company anticipates an increase in its gross profit margins if and
when  ALBUNEX(R)  sales volume  increases  and if and when  OPTISON(TM)  obtains
market  acceptance.  The  increase in sales  volume would permit the fixed costs
included in manufacturing overhead to be allocated over a larger number of vials
produced.  Manufacturing  fixed costs are currently running at an annual rate of
approximately  $5 million.  The amount of any increase in the Company's  margins
and the time  required  by the  Company to  achieve  higher  margins  are highly
dependent on market  acceptance of ALBUNEX(R) and  OPTISON(TM) and are therefore
uncertain.


         Research and  Development  Costs.  For the  three-month  and nine-month
periods ended December 31, 1997, the Company's  research and  development  costs
totaled  $2.9  million and $7.8  million,  as compared to $2.4  million and $7.3
million for the same periods in 1996.  This increase is due to the fact that the
Company  has  initiated   clinical   trials  for  additional   indications   for
OPTISON(TM).


         Selling,  General and Administrative  Expenses. For the three-month and
nine-month periods ended December 31, 1997, the Company's  selling,  general and
administrative expenses totaled $3.1 million and $8.9 million,  compared to $1.9
million and $5.4  million  for the same  periods in 1996.  This  increase in the
current year is primarily  attributable  to increased  legal  expenses.  See the
discussion under "Recent Events".


         Interest  Expense  and  Interest  Income.   Interest  expense  for  the
three-month and nine-month  periods ended December 31, 1997 amounted to $176,000
and $553,000, and consisted of mortgage interest on the Company's  manufacturing
building and interest on a note payable which is secured by the tangible  assets
of the Company.  The interest rate on the mortgage was 8% in December  1997. The
note payable,  in the amount of $6 million,  bears interest at prime plus 1% and
is payable in monthly  installments  of principal plus interest over five years.
The interest rate on the note was 9.5% in December 1997.


         The decrease in interest income in the current year is due primarily to
lower average cash and  marketable  securities  balances.  The Company's cash is
invested  primarily in short-term,  fixed  principal  investments,  such as U.S.
Government  agency  issues,   corporate  bonds,   certificates  of  deposit  and
commercial paper.


Prospective Information


         On  December  31,  1997,  the  Company's  new  drug   application   for
OPTISON(TM),   the  Company's   second-generation  contrast  agent  for  cardiac
ultrasound imaging, was approved by the United States FDA. This approval permits
the  marketing  of  OPTISON(TM)  in the United  Sates for use in  patients  with
suboptimal  echocardiagrams  to opacify  the left  ventricle  and to improve the
delineation of the left ventricular endocardial borders.


         OPTISON(TM),  the first of the  perfluorocarbon  containing  ultrasound
agents  to reach  the  market,  enables  physicians  to  enhance  resolution  of
anatomical  structure where ultrasound alone is inadequate.  Ultrasound  cardiac
imaging has several  advantages  over other  imaging  methods.  It is  minimally
invasive,  relatively  inexpensive  and can quickly  provide a real-time  image.
OPTISON(TM) helps increase the effectiveness of  echocardiography  in diagnosing
heart  disease  by  introducing  gas-filled  microspheres  into the  blood.  The
microspheres travel in the blood stream to the left ventricle of the heart where
the  microspheres  reflect the soundwaves  generated from ultrasound  equipment,
enabling the development of a clearer, more descriptive ultrasound image.


         On January 27, 1998, the European  Union's CPMP of the EMEA recommended
the approval of OPTISON(TM). The regulatory file was submitted to the EMEA under
the centralized procedure in which a single license is granted for the 15 member
states of the European  Union.  The  marketing  authorization  is expected to be
granted by the European  Commission  within several months.  Upon EMEA approval,
OPTISON(TM) will be sold by Mallinckrodt.


         The Company is involved in several legal and administrative proceedings
which could result in a substantial cost to the Company. Given the complexity of
the legal and factual issues and the uncertainty of litigation,  there can be no
assurance of a favorable outcome.  An unfavorable  outcome could have a material
adverse  effect on the Company's  business,  financial  condition and results of
operations. For a detailed discussion of these matters, see "Recent Events".





         PART II - OTHER INFORMATION


Item 1 - LEGAL PROCEEDINGS


         See  "Recent  Events"  in Part I,  Item 2,  which  is  incorporated  by
reference in this response.


Item 2-5 - The Company has nothing to report with respect to these items for the
quarter ended December 31, 1997.


Item 6 - EXHIBITS AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K


 (a)      Exhibits - None


(b) A Current  Report on Form 8-K dated  December 31, 1997, was filed on January
20, 1998,  reporting that on December 31, 1997, the Company's  second-generation
contrast agent for cardiac  ultrasound  imaging  (OPTISONTM) was approved by the
United States Food and Drug Administration.




<PAGE>



SIGNATURES

Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS, INC.




   /s/ Gerard Wills
Gerard A. Wills
Vice President Finance and
Chief Financial Officer


    2/06/98
Date



<TABLE> <S> <C>
                                                        
<ARTICLE>                                                    5
<LEGEND>                                                
This schedule contains summary financial information extracted
from the consolidated financial statements of Molecular
Biosystems, Inc. dated December 31, 1997 and is qualified in
its entirety by reference to such financial statements.
</LEGEND>                                               
<MULTIPLIER>                                                            1,000
                                                              
<S>                                                            <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE>                                                9-mos
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                                            MAR-31-1998
<PERIOD-END>                                                 DEC-31-1997
<CASH>                                                                    811
<SECURITIES>                                                           24,914
<RECEIVABLES>                                                             992
<ALLOWANCES>                                                                0
<INVENTORY>                                                               745
<CURRENT-ASSETS>                                                       36,222
<PP&E>                                                                 19,424
<DEPRECIATION>                                                          7,162
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                                         53,938
<CURRENT-LIABILITIES>                                                   9,025
<BONDS>                                                                     0
                                                       0
                                                                 0
<COMMON>                                                                  178
<OTHER-SE>                                                             36,832
<TOTAL-LIABILITY-AND-EQUITY>                                           53,938
<SALES>                                                                   428
<TOTAL-REVENUES>                                                        4,273
<CGS>                                                                   3,949
<TOTAL-COSTS>                                                          20,654
<OTHER-EXPENSES>                                                            0
<LOSS-PROVISION>                                                            0
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                                        553
<INCOME-PRETAX>                                                       (15,323)
<INCOME-TAX>                                                                0
<INCOME-CONTINUING>                                                   (15,323)
<DISCONTINUED>                                                              0
<EXTRAORDINARY>                                                             0
<CHANGES>                                                                   0
<NET-INCOME>                                                          (15,323)
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                                           (0.86)
<EPS-DILUTED>                                                            0.00
        
 

</TABLE>


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