Advertisement
Some financial analysts and economic development experts have greeted the proposal with skepticism. Kodak filed for bankruptcy in 2012 after getting lapped by rivals in digital photography and failing to make good on an earlier multibillion-dollar acquisition of a pharmaceutical company. It also has little to show for the planned introduction of a cryptocurrency two years ago. Why, then, would the government pick Kodak to spearhead efforts to reinvigorate a pharmaceutical production supply chain in the US?
‘‘We are puzzled by the Trump Administration’s decision,’’ analysts at SVB Leerink wrote in a research note. ‘‘In particular, we find it puzzling why generic pharmaceutical companies who have the capabilities and know-how for this have not yet been awarded such contracts.’’
Production of active pharmaceutical ingredients for generics is a ‘‘Herculean task,’’ they wrote. Ami Fadia, a senior analyst at SVB Leerink, said Kodak is ‘‘not even on the list’’ of companies she would have envisioned for such a loan.
Trump administration officials and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo lauded the planned loan, administered by the US International Development Finance Corporation under the auspices of the Defense Production Act.
‘‘It’s going to be the renaissance of the great state of New York as an industrial power,’’ Peter Navarro, President Trump’s trade adviser, said in a Tuesday interview with Fox Business. ‘‘And it’s going to give the people of our country some assurance that when push comes to shove in pandemics like this we won’t see what we’re seeing right now is over 75 countries restricting the sale of pharmaceuticals, or something, to us like face masks.’’
Advertisement
Cuomo said the arrangement would result in the creation of 300 jobs. ‘‘Kodak has a long storied history in New York State, and we’ve been working with them to develop an even brighter future,’’ he said in a video presentation.
Plans for the loan got underway soon after May 14, when Trump signed an executive order calling for the expansion of ‘‘the domestic production of strategic resources needed to respond to the covid-19 outbreak, or to strengthen any relevant domestic supply chains.’’
Navarro said in the Fox Business interview that one of his staff, Christopher Abbott, a recent graduate of American University, identified Kodak as a prospect. Navarro’s office then brought Kodak to the attention of Adam Boehler, a former health care entrepreneur who heads the International Development Finance Corporation, Boehler said in an interview.
From there, DFC reviewed Kodak’s application, with Trump and Navarro keenly tracking progress, according to David Glaccum, who oversees the domestic investment effort. Navarro’s office didn’t return a request for comment.
The DFC saw two strengths to the deal: One, it believes that Kodak already has the equipment to produce the drug materials. Currently, 1 percent to 3 percent f Kodak’s revenue comes from manufacturing materials for drugs. ‘‘The second thing is they had an advanced purchase order lined up,’’ Boehler said. He and Glaccum declined to identify the company that agreed to purchase drug materials. Kodak said it has a letter of intent for the deal.
Advertisement
While the DFC and Kodak have signed a letter of interest, the group hasn’t finalized the loan terms and said it won’t disclose them. ‘‘I think it’s priced like a commercial loan would be to the extent they could get one,’’ Glaccum said.
Kodak’s executive chairman James Continenza said in an interview with CNBC he’s confident the loan will go through. ‘‘One of our core competencies has always been chemistry, for over 100 years we’ve been doing chemistry,’’ Continenza said. ‘‘We realized we could do more. The government realized they could do more. They kind of reached out, and we found a path that makes a lot of sense for the American public to help bring the pharmaceutical protections back to America.’’
Continenza and board member Philippe Katz bought Kodak shares in June. Continenza bought almost 47,000 shares, while Katz bought 10,000 shares in two separate transactions. David Bullwinkle, the company’s CFO, purchased almost 2,900 shares in May. Kodak said Continenza’s purchases are a continuation of ‘‘ongoing, regular investments in Kodak and are in full compliance with regulatory guidelines for investment activity.’’