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Month: October 2017

WideCells Group Plc – Strategic Partner Secured to Expand into The Middle East, North Africa and Asia-Pacific Territories

Posted on by shardadmin

WideCells Group PLC, the healthcare services company focused on providing stem cell services and ground-breaking insurance for stem cell treatment, is pleased to announce that it has signed an exclusive Heads of Terms agreement with multi-sector advisory business White Apex General Trading (‘White Apex’), to sell and promote the Group’s stem cell services in the Middle East and North Africa (‘MENA’) and Asia-Pacific (excluding China) territories (the ‘Territories’).

 

Overview

  • Expansion into the Territories through exclusive strategic partnership with White Apex
  • Initial three-year binding agreement expected to be secured by 31 October 2017
  • Payment of £255,000 will follow completion of the formal agreement with recurring revenues to be generated thereafter
  • White Apex has option to require WideCells to develop Wideacademy in MENA, upon payment of additional £250,000, prior to 31 December 2017
  • Deal highlights global roll-out potential through securing worldwide commercial partners
  • Services to be promoted and sold across all three WideCells Group divisions
  • New office to be established in Dubai headed by Dr Ahmed Alawi, a preeminent doctor in the stem cell sector

 

WideCells Group CEO, João Andrade, said, “This agreement is an historic achievement.  Not only is this the strongest strategic deal we have secured to date, but it marks our move into a significant new region: MENA and Asia-Pacific.  Crucially, revenues are expected to commence by the end of this year, with £255,000 to be paid following signing of the binding agreement, which is anticipated by 31 October 2017, and further revenues expected to follow in the near term with at least £250,000 targeted before the end of the year and similar numbers targeted year on year thereafter.  These figures will gain even more traction as we continue our expansion strategy and increase our global profile.  This agreement highlights how rapidly we can grow and we are committed to securing similar commercial partnerships as we transform the value fundamentals of our company.”

 

Dr Ahmed Alawi said, “We are proud of our partnership with Widecells Group as we focus on creating a new paradigm and future medicine for our people.  Our aim is to improve lives and create hope; we believe this partnership will enable us to achieve these goals.”

 

Further Information

WideCells Group anticipates that a formal binding three-year agreement will be secured with White Apex by 31 October 2017, at which point revenue generation for the Group will begin; £255,000 will be paid following signing of the agreement, and recurring revenues are expected to commence thereafter.  White Apex is a multi-sector advisory business with offices in the UAE, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait.  The company supports clients across four primary divisions – Corporate Advisory, Investment, Energy and Healthcare – and is experienced in the marketing and sale of commercial products.

 

WideCells Group will be able to leverage White Apex’s established infrastructure and intends to establish a regional office in Dubai, which will be run by a team from White Apex.  This team will be led by Dr. Ahmed Alawi, who will become WideCells Group Managing Director of MENA and Asia-Pacific.  Dr. Alawi is an experienced stem cell scientist who previously led a team at Genzyme, which was the world’s third-largest biotechnology company in 2010, prior to its acquisition by Sanofi in 2011.  He also founded The Middle East Thrombosis Institute (www.tri-london.ac.uk).  Alongside his medical achievements, Dr. Alawi has considerable cross functional experience in international Fortune 500 & FTSE companies, having previously held roles at Philips Electronics and Shell International.  He also has notable regional connections, having previously worked within the Omani Government and most recently co-founded RAY International UAE in 2015, which is part of the leading RAY International Group (http://rayinternational.ae).

 

Other team members include Ahmad Jemain, who will become WideCells Group Chief Operating Officer of MENA and Asia-Pacific.  Mr Jemain has considerable experience in corporate and enterprise in the South East Asian region, particularly within the insurance industry.  Zakaria Aziz will also join the team as WideCells Group Business Development/ Marketing in South East Asia.  Mr Aziz is a successful entrepreneur who co-founded RAY Oman Group, which is part of the leading RAY International Group.  He has over 28 years of business experience in the oil and gas sectors in both South-East Asia and the Middle East.

 

Under the terms of the initial three-year agreement, White Apex will sell and promote the following WideCells Group services:

 

  • WideCells, stem cell collection and dispatch – covers the processing, quality control, analysis (infectious disease screening) and long-term storage (up to 25 years) of cord blood and/or cord tissue

o  An initial start-up fee of £15,000 payable to WideCells Group on completion of formal binding agreement followed by on-going monthly support fees

o  Additional ongoing revenue from cord blood and tissue storage – White Apex to procure clients in the UAE and send samples to WideCells Group’s Institute of Stem Cell Technology laboratory in Manchester

 

  • INDUS, a novel synthetic bone graft which promotes new bone formation.  Two products will be available for purchase – INDUS TCP and INDUS BCP

o  White Apex will be appointed as Distributor and authorised to sell INDUS directly to customers (such as clinics or dentists) or to appoint sub-dealers within the Territories

o  Minimum sales targets will be agreed and established in the first 90 days when entering each country within the Territories

 

  • CellPlan, the world’s first stem cell healthcare insurance plan with financial cover for medical treatment, travel and accommodation expenses and concierge service to manage the treatment process

o  White Apex to facilitate introductions between CellPlan and insurance companies in the Territories with a view to securing commercial sales agreements

o  Potential for White Apex to introduce CellPlan to stem cell storage facilities and provide ongoing support

o  CellPlan will pay White Apex introductory commission fees

 

  • Wideacademy, providing stem cell education and training services via a custom-built Statistical Analysis System (‘SaaS’) platform

 

o  Paid for subscriptions for doctors and medical professionals to access premium content and digital tools – charged at £120 per year per subscriber/ doctor

  • White Apex to initially sponsor subscriptions for 2,000 doctors per year for two countries in the agreed Territories a period of three years – generating revenues of £240,000 by signing of the formal agreement – White Apex is expected to generate further sponsorship in its designated territories
  • Payment for the first 2,000 doctors is due to Wideacademy on conclusion of the formal binding agreement
  • Thereafter, revenues generated from all future subscriptions secured in the Territories will be shared between Wideacademy and White Apex

 

o  Wideacademy platform localised to the MENA region

  • White Apex has the right to pay £250,000 before 31 December 2017 for Wideacademy to localise its bespoke SaaS platform for use in the MENA region

 

o  Accreditation

  • Wideacademy will offer courseware modules to Medical and Enterprise professionals to enhance their CPD (continuous professional development) – it is anticipated that these modules will be free-to-access, but the optional micro credential accreditation which comes from completion will be charged at c. £200 per module
  • Wideacademy will share with White Apex 30% of revenues derived from accreditation of online courses from users in the Territories

 

o  Licensing of the Wideacademy white-labelled platform

  • Opportunity for the Wideacademy platform to be used to drive Education, Thought Leadership and Knowledge Management in other areas of medicine outside of stem cells, e.g. Dementia, Cancer and other major health challenges
  • White-labelled platforms for areas outside stem cells to be available at a licence fee of approximately £500,000 in the first year and £250,000 in the following years (per annum)
  • Wideacademy will share revenues derived from such licensing deals introduced by White Apex with the company within the designated Territories

 

For further information, please visit the Company’s website www.widecellsgroup.com, follow us on Twitter @WideCells_Group or contact:

 

WideCells Group CEO – João Andrade Tel:  +351 919 033 171
Smaller Company Capital Ltd Broker – Jeremy Woodgate & Rupert Williams Tel: +44 (0) 20 3651 2912
Shard Capital Partners LLP Broker – Damon Heath & Erik Woolgar Tel: +44 (0) 20 7186 9950
St Brides Partners Ltd PR – Charlotte Page & Olivia Vita Tel: +44 (0) 20 7236 1177

 

Notes to Editors

 

WideCells Group PLC

WideCells Group PLC is building an integrated stem cell services company, focused on making stem cell treatments accessible and affordable.  In June 2017, the Group was ranked as the 21st most disruptive company globally by DISRUPT 100, an annual index celebrating the businesses with the most potential to influence, change or create new global markets.

 

The Group has three divisions:

  • CellPlan: the world’s first stem cell healthcare insurance plan with financial cover for medical treatment, travel and accommodation expenses and concierge service to manage the treatment process
  • WideCells: The Institute of Stem Cell Technology has been established and is based in the University of Manchester Innovation Centre to focus on stem cell research and regenerative medicine. WideCells also has international cryogenics divisions specialising in stem cell storage.
  • Wideacademy: developing an education and training division to promote awareness of the benefits of stem cell storage across the global general practice community.

 

The Group has built an experienced senior management team that has been integral to the development of its growth and business to date.

 

Stem Cell Fast Facts:

  • Cord blood (which is taken from the umbilical cord) provides the most effective source of stem cells for families due to it being simple, safe and painless to collect relative to other sources of stem cells such as bone marrow – WideCells will focus on promoting the collection and storage of this.
  • Since 2005, there has been a 300% increase in the number of illnesses that can be treated using stem cells
  • 82 illnesses can currently be treated using stem cell procedures
  • Despite initial storage often costing no more than a few £thousand, actual treatment can cost in the £hundreds of thousands

 

 

White Apex General Trading

White Apex is a boutique advisory business covering wide spectrum of services.  Rooted in engineering projects, over the years, the company has become a multi-sector, global advisory business focused on building highly valued relationships with individuals, corporates, institutions and Governments. Today, the company supports clients across four divisions:

 

  • Corporate Advisory
  • Investment
  • Energy
  • Healthcare

 

White Apex is a privately owned, dynamic company combining the diverse, complementary talents of a multi skilled team with global experience. The company prides itself on its integrity, agility and client-led, partnering approach. It invests time in developing a deep understanding of their clients’ needs – partnering with them to provide solutions that enable their business, protect their assets and grow their capital. Whether their priority is empowering their business, increasing their presence, White Apex have the sector understanding and proactive risk management expertise to help them make the right decision at the right time and with the right people. They believe that by combining these qualities and experience they offer a distinct and compelling offering that sets the company apart from other firms. More importantly, these attributes help their clients solve the most exacting challenges and seize opportunities.

 

 

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 (MAR).

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

Amryt Pharma Plc – TR-1: Standard Form for Notification of Major Holdings

Posted on by shardadmin

 

NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR HOLDINGS (to be sent to the relevant issuer and to the FCA in Microsoft Word format if possible)i

 
1a. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which voting rights are attachedii:

 

 Amryt Pharma plc

 
 

1b. Please indicate if the issuer is a non-UK issuer  (please mark with an “X” if appropriate)
 

2. Reason for the notification (please mark the appropriate box or boxes with an “X”)
 

An acquisition or disposal of voting rights

  

X
 

An acquisition or disposal of financial instruments
 

An event changing the breakdown of voting rights (increase of capital/placing)

  

X
 

Other (please specify)iii:
 

3. Details of person subject to the notification obligationiv
 

Name

  

Software AG – Stiftung (Foundation)
 

City and country of registered office (if applicable)

 Darmstadt, Germany
 

4. Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3.)v
 

Name
 

City and country of registered office (if applicable)
 

5. Date on which the threshold was crossed or reachedvi:

  

11 October 2017
 

6. Date on which issuer notified (DD/MM/YYYY):

  

11 October 2017
 

7. Total positions of person(s) subject to the notification obligation
 

% of voting rights attached to shares (total of 8. A)

  

% of voting rights through financial instruments

(total of 8.B 1 + 8.B 2)

 Total of both in % (8.A + 8.B)  

Total number of voting rights of isiuervii
 

Resulting situation on the date on which threshold was crossed or reached

 22.3% N/A 22.3% 274,817,283
 

Position of previous notification (if

applicable)

 N/A N/A N/A

 

 

8. Notified details of the resulting situation on the date on which the threshold was crossed or reachedviii
 

A: Voting rights attached to shares
 

 

Class/type of
shares

ISIN code (if possible)

  

Number of voting rightsix

  

% of voting rights
Direct

(Art 9 of Directive 2004/109/EC) (DTR5.1)

 

 Indirect

(Art 10 of Directive 2004/109/EC) (DTR5.2.1)

 

 Direct

(Art 9 of Directive 2004/109/EC) (DTR5.1)

 

 Indirect

(Art 10 of Directive 2004/109/EC) (DTR5.2.1)

 
 

GB00BDD1LS57

  

61,272,920

  

0

  

22.3%

  

0%
 

SUBTOTAL 8. A

 61,272,960 22.3%
 

 
 

B 1: Financial Instruments according to Art. 13(1)(a) of Directive 2004/109/EC (DTR5.3.1.1 (a))
 

Type of financial instrument

  

Expiration
datex

  

Exercise/
Conversion Periodxi

  

Number of voting rights that may be acquired if the instrument is

exercised/converted.

 % of voting rights
SUBTOTAL 8. B 1
 

 
 

B 2: Financial Instruments with similar economic effect according to Art. 13(1)(b) of Directive 2004/109/EC (DTR5.3.1.1 (b))

 
Type of financial instrument Expiration
datex		 Exercise/
Conversion Period xi		 Physical or cash

settlementxii

 Number of voting rights % of voting rights
SUBTOTAL 8.B.2
 

 

 

 

 

9. Information in relation to the person subject to the notification obligation (please mark the

applicable box with an “X”)
 

Person subject to the notification obligation is not controlled by any natural person or legal entity and does not control any other undertaking(s) holding directly or indirectly an interest in the (underlying) issuerxiii
 

Full chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the
financial instruments are effectively held starting with the ultimate controlling natural person or legal entityxiv (please add additional rows as necessary)

 X
 

Namexv

  

% of voting rights if it equals or is higher than the notifiable threshold

  

% of voting rights through financial instruments if it equals or is higher than the notifiable threshold

 Total of both if it equals or is higher than the notifiable threshold
 

Software AG – Stiftung (Foundation)

 22.3% N/A 22.3%
 

10. In case of proxy voting, please identify:
 

Name of the proxy holder

  

N/A
 

The number and % of voting rights held

  

N/A
 

The date until which the voting rights will be held

  

N/A
 

11. Additional informationxvi
 

N/A

 

Place of completion London Stock Exchange, AIM
 

Date of completion

 11 October 2017

 

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

Amryt Pharma Plc – Director Share Purchases

Posted on by shardadmin

Amryt, the biopharmaceutical company focused on rare and orphan diseases, is pleased to announce that, following approval of the Placing, it has received notification that Harry Stratford, Non-Executive Chairman, Joe Wiley, Chief Executive Officer, Rory Nealon, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Markus Ziener and James Culverwell, Non-Executive Directors of the Company, acquired, in aggregate, 947,731 ordinary shares of 1p each (“Ordinary Shares”). The details of the purchases are as follows:

 

1.            Details

of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated

 
a)

 

 Name

 

  

Harry Stratford

 

 
2.             

Reason for the notification

 
a)

 

 Position / status

 

 Non-Executive Chairman

 
b)

 

 Initial notification / amendment

 

Initial notification / amendment

 Initial notification

 
3.     

      

 Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor

 
a)

 

 Name

 

 Amryt Pharma plc

 
b)

 

 Legal entity identifier

 

 213800BOS8WAJO2BEQ38

 
4.             

Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted
a)

 

 Description of the financial instrument,  type of instrument

 

 Ordinary shares of £0.01 each

 
Identification code

 

 GB00BDD1LS57

 
b)

 

 Nature of the transaction

 

 Purchase of ordinary shares as part of placing announced on 21 September 2017

 
c)

 

 Currency

 

 British Pounds

 
d)

 

 Price(s) and volume(s)

 

 Price(s)

£0.20

 Volume(s)

221,592
 
e)  

Aggregated information

·      Aggregated volume

·      Aggregated price

  

150,000

£30,000
 

f)

  

Date of the transaction

  

11 October 2017
 

g)

  

Place of the transaction

  

London Stock Exchange, AIM

 

 

 

1.          

 

 Details

of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated

 
a)

 

 Name

 

 Joe Wiley

 
2.      

     

 Reason for the notification

 
a)

 

 Position / status

 

 Director

 
b)

 

 Initial notification / amendment

 

 Initial notification

 
 

3.           

  

Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
a)

 

 Name

 

 Amryt Pharma plc

 
b)

 

 Legal entity identifier

 

 213800BOS8WAJO2BEQ38

 
4.             

Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted
a)  

Description of the financial instrument,  type of instrument

 Ordinary shares of £0.01 each
 

Identification code

  

GB00BDD1LS57
 

b)

  

Nature of the transaction

  

Purchase of ordinary shares as part of placing announced on 21 September 2017
 

c)

  

Currency

  

British Pounds
 

d)

  

Price(s) and volume(s)

  

Price(s)

  

Volume(s)
£0.20 221,592
 

e)

  

Aggregated information

·      Aggregated volume

·      Aggregated price

  

 

221,592

£44,318.40
 

f)

  

Date of the transaction

  

11 October 2017
 

g)

  

Place of the transaction

  

London Stock Exchange, AIM

 

 

1.            Details

of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated

 
 

a)

  

Name

  

Rory Nealon
 

2.           

  

Reason for the notification
 

a)

  

Position / status

  

Director
 

b)

  

Initial notification / amendment

  

Initial notification
 

3.           

  

Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
 

a)

  

Name

  

Amryt Pharma plc
 

b)

 

  

Legal entity identifier

 

  

213800BOS8WAJO2BEQ38

 
4.             

Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted
a)  

Description of the financial instrument,  type of instrument

 

 Ordinary shares of £0.01 each
Identification code GB00BDD1LS57
 

b)

  

Nature of the transaction

  

Purchase of ordinary shares as part of placing announced on 21 September 2017
 

c)

  

Currency

  

British Pounds
 

d)

  

Price(s) and volume(s)

  

Price(s)

  

Volume(s)
£0.20 221,592
e)  

Aggregated information

·      Aggregated volume

·      Aggregated price

  

 

221,592

£44,318.40
 

f)

  

Date of the transaction

  

11 October 2017
 

g)

  

Place of the transaction

  

London Stock Exchange, AIM

 

 

 

1.            Details

of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated

 

 
a) Name James Culverwell
 

2.           

  

Reason for the notification
 

a)

  

Position / status

  

Non-Executive Director
 

b)

  

Initial notification / amendment

  

Initial notification
 

3.           

  

Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
 

a)

  

Name

  

Amryt Pharma plc
 

b)

  

Legal entity identifier

  

213800BOS8WAJO2BEQ38
4.             

Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted
a)  

Description of the financial instrument,  type of instrument

 Ordinary shares of £0.01 each
 

Identification code

  

GB00BDD1LS57
 

b)

  

Nature of the transaction

  

Purchase of ordinary shares as part of placing announced on 21 September 2017
 

c)

  

Currency

  

British Pounds
 

d)

  

Price(s) and volume(s)

  

Price(s)

  

Volume(s)
£0.20 221,592
e)  

Aggregated information

·      Aggregated volume

·      Aggregated price

  

 

221,592

£44,318.40
 

f)

  

Date of the transaction

  

11 October 2017
 

g)

  

Place of the transaction

  

London Stock Exchange, AIM

 

 

 

1.           

  

Details

of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated
 

a)

  

Name

  

Marcus Ziener
 

2.           

  

Reason for the notification
 

a)

  

Position / status

  

Non-Executive Director
 

b)

  

Initial notification / amendment

  

Initial notification
 

3.           

  

Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
 

a)

  

Name

  

Amryt Pharma plc
 

b)

  

Legal entity identifier

  

213800BOS8WAJO2BEQ38
4.             

Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted
a)  

Description of the financial instrument,  type of instrument

 Ordinary shares of £0.01 each
 

Identification code

  

GB00BDD1LS57
 

b)

  

Nature of the transaction

  

Purchase of ordinary shares as part of placing announced on 21 September 2017
 

c)

 

 Currency British Pounds
d) Price(s) and volume(s)  

Price(s)

  

Volume(s)
£0.20 132,955
e)  

Aggregated information

·      Aggregated volume

·      Aggregated price

  

 

132,955

£26,591
 

f)

  

Date of the transaction

  

11 October 2017
 

g)

  

Place of the transaction

  

London Stock Exchange, AIM

 

 

Enquiries:

Amryt Pharma plc C/o KTZ Communications (details below)
Joe Wiley, CEO

Rory Nealon, CFO/COO
Shore Capital +44 (0) 20 7408 4090
Nomad, Joint Bookrunner and Joint Broker
Edward Mansfield, Mark Percy

 
WG Partners +44 (0) 20 3705 9321
Joint Bookrunner
Nigel Barnes, Nigel Birks, Chris Lee

 
Davy +353 (1) 679 6363
ESM Adviser and Joint Broker
John Frain, Anthony Farrell

 
Stifel +44 (0) 20 7710 7600
Joint Broker
Jonathan Senior, Ben Maddison

 
KTZ Communications +44 (0) 20 3178 6378
Katie Tzouliadis, Irene Bermont-Penn, Emma Pearson

 

 

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals Plc – Director / PDMR Shareholding

Posted on by shardadmin

Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals Plc, the biotechnology company developing novel therapies to transform bone marrow and blood stem cell transplantation, announces that it was informed on 10 October 2017 that Adrian Beeston, Non-Executive Director, has purchased an additional 400,000 ordinary shares of £0.01 each in the Company (“Ordinary Shares“) at a price of 2.96p per share. Following this transaction Mr Beeston now has an interest in 6,131,969 Ordinary Shares, representing approximately 1.72 per cent. of the Company’s issued share capital.

 

The Notification of Dealing Form provided in accordance with the requirements of MAR in relation to the transaction listed above is set out below:

 

Notification and public disclosure of transactions by persons discharging managerial responsibilities and persons closely associated with them

 

 

1

 

  

Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated

 
a)

 

  

Name

 

 

 Adrian Beeston

 
2

 

 Reason for the notification

 
a)

 

  

Position/status

 

 

 Non-executive Director

 
b)

 

  

Initial notification /Amendment

 

 

 Initial notification
3

 

 Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor

 
 

a)

 

  

 

Name

 

 
 b)  

 

LEI

 

 

 n/a
4

 

 Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted

 
 

 

 

a)

 

 Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument Ordinary shares of £0.01 each
Identification code ISIN GB00BYX3WZ24
 
 

b)

 

  

 

Nature of the transaction

 

 

 Purchase of Ordinary Shares
 

c)

 

  

 

 

 

Price(s) and volume(s)

        
  Price(s) Volume(s)  
  2.96p 400,000  
       
 d) Aggregated         information

– Aggregated volume

  

N/A – single transaction
– Price
 

e)

 

  

 

Date of the transaction

 

 

 6 October 2017
 

f)

 

  

 

Place of the transaction

 

 

 London Stock Exchange

 

 

 

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals Plc – Director / PDMR Shareholding

Posted on by shardadmin

Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals Plc (LSE: HEMO), the biotechnology company developing novel therapies to transform bone marrow and blood stem cell transplantation, announces that it has been advised that on 6 October 2017 Adrian Beeston, Non-Executive Director, purchased 317,683 ordinary shares of £0.01 each in the Company (“Ordinary Shares“) at a price of 3.1p per share. Following this transaction Mr Beeston now has an interest in 5,731,969 Ordinary Shares, representing approximately 1.61 per cent. of the Company’s issued share capital.

 

In addition, the Company has been advised that Peter Redmond, Non-Executive Director, purchased 155,000 Ordinary Shares at a price of 3.135p per share on 6 October 2017. Following this transaction Mr Redmond now has an interest in 5,040,714 Ordinary Shares, representing approximately 1.41 per cent. of the Company’s issued share capital, which includes shares held in the name of Catalyst Corporate Consultants Limited of which Peter Redmond is a director and sole shareholder.

 

The Notification of Dealing Forms provided in accordance with the requirements of MAR in relation to the transactions listed above are set out below:

 

Notification and public disclosure of transactions by persons discharging managerial responsibilities and persons closely associated with them

 

1

 

 Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated

 
a)

 

  

Name

 

 

 Adrian Beeston

 
2

 

 Reason for the notification

 
a)

 

  

Position/status

 

 

 Non-executive Director

 
b)

 

  

Initial notification /Amendment

 

 

 Initial notification
3

 

 Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor

 
 

a)

 

  

 

Name

 

 

 Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals Plc
 

b)

 

  

 

LEI

 

 

 n/a
4

 

  

Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted

 
 

 

 

a)

 

 Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument

 

 Ordinary shares of £0.01 each

 
 

Identification code
 
 

b)

 

  

 

Nature of the transaction

 

 

 Purchase of Ordinary Shares
 

 

 

c)

 

 Price(s) and volume(s)        
  Price(s) Volume(s)  
 Aggregated information   3.1p 10,000  
       
 

d)

 

  
 

– Aggregated volume

  

N/A – single transaction
– Price
 

e)

 

  

 

Date of the transaction

 

 

 6 October 2017
 

f)

 

  

 

Place of the transaction

 

 

 London Stock Exchange

 

1

 

 Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated

 
 

a)

 

  

 

Name

 

 

  

Peter Redmond

 
2

 

 Reason for the notification

 
a)

 

  

Position/status

 

 

 Non-executive Director

 
 

 

b)

 

  

 

 

Initial notification /Amendment

 

 

  

Initial notification
3

 

 Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor

 
 

a)

 

  

 

Name

 

 

 Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals Plc
 

b)

 

  

 

LEI

 

 

 n/a
4

 

 Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted

 
 

 

 

 

a)

 

  

Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument

 Ordinary shares of £0.01 each
Identification code ISIN GB00BYX3WZ24
 
 

b)

 

  

 

Nature of the transaction

 

 

 Purchase of Ordinary Shares
c)

 

 Price(s) and volume(s)        
  Price(s) Volume(s)  
  3.135p 155,000  
       
 

d)

 

 Aggregated information
 

– Aggregated volume

  

 N/A – single transaction
– Price
 

e)

 

  

 

Date of the transaction

 

 

 6 October 2017
 

f)

 

  

 

Place of the transaction

 

 

 London Stock Exchange

 

 

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

What’s the Buzz in the Alternative Energy Market

Posted on by shardadmin

The Energy industry has seen increasing adoption of renewable technology since the beginning of the century, as awareness of the harmful environmental effects of fossil fuels has led to greater regulatory and societal pressure. Consequently, the renewable energy market has grown smartly since then, with rapid adoption and advances in technology, especially in the use of solar and wind power.

The growth has been driven mainly by favourable government policies, regulatory action and substantial cost reductions.  The US Energy Information Administration (EIA), citing favourable government policies and various incentives, has projected renewable energy to be the fastest growing energy source from 2015 to 2040, with its share of primary energy rising from 12.5% in 2015 to 18.0% in 2050.

As mentioned above, a key driver of this trend has been the substantial decline in both the manufacturing and installation costs associated with renewables, especially solar and wind energy.  The global average price of solar energy has slipped to $50/MWh in 2016 from around $250/MWh in 2010.  Heightened rivalry among manufacturers and the resultant development in renewable energy technology has contributed to decreasing prices over the past few years. Production of more efficient systems, including improved solar PV modules and wind turbines, has driven growth, with renewables now emerging as a viable alternative to fossil fuels in several markets.

Additionally, a fall in the cost of inverters used for converting DC power from solar panels to AC power for grids has been equally responsible for the continuous drop in installed cost related to solar energy. The BNEF expects the cost of electricity from solar PV and onshore wind systems to decline by 66% and 47%, respectively by 2040.

In line with the substantial decline in cost of solar and wind energy, capacity additions in renewables have remained strong, with an addition of 161 gigawatts (GW) of capacity in 2016, the largest annual rise ever. This accounted for about 62% of net additions to power generating capacity. Worldwide investments in renewable capacity, however, dropped to $241.6 billion in 2016, down from $312.2 billion reported in 2015, in line with lower costs of installations. Most investments in renewables have gone into solar and wind power, with solar accounting for 71 GW in 2016, whilst the growth in wind energy was 51 GW. It is further expected that solar and wind power will bag about 72% of the projected $10.2 trillion in energy investments in new sources of power generation by 2040.

Recent years have witnessed increasing adoption of renewable energy by developing countries, especially in Asia, where about 58% of new renewable additions were made in 2016.  This takes its total renewable energy capacity to 812 GW or 41% of the global capacity. China retained its position as the largest developer of new renewable power, topping the global renewable energy market with an investment of $78.3 billion in 2016, and 45% of global new solar installations. This was despite a slowdown in investment in the Chinese renewable energy market in 2016. Any slowdown appears to be short lived however, with the Chinese government announcing that it will invest $360 billion in renewables by 2020. According to research by the BNEF, China’s renewable capacity would have a 63% share in its overall power generation capacity by 2040.

Conducive government policies and ideal geographical conditions are enabling India to emerge as a key market for solar energy projects. The country has over 8.5 GW of solar power capacity and its government is targeting 100 GW by 2022 by providing subsidies and incentives.  It is estimated that investments worth about $90 billion are needed to achieve this challenging goal. India has attracted investment from global renewable energy firms to build the world’s largest solar power plant in the state of Madhya Pradesh, with a proposed capacity of 750 MW.

Another market trend driving demand is the remarkable growth in corporate renewable procurement in the last few years, even as 2016 witnessed a decline in new corporate Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) signed, from record high volumes reported in 2015. Fulfilling sustainability goals, decreasing carbon footprints, getting a decent return on investment and hedging against volatile energy prices are some of the key drivers behind such corporate purchases. Big firms like Google, Microsoft and Amazon have signed contracts with vendors to use renewable energy to power their data centers. The decline in new PPA’s signed in 2016 was due to uncertainty in tax credits under Trump. The three biggest deals signed last year were Amazon’s agreement with Lincoln Clean Energy for a 228 MW wind farm in Texas, Google’s deal with Enel Green Power for a 200 MW wind farm in Kansas, and Amazon entering into PPA with EverPower Wind Holdings for a 189 MW Ohio wind project. In Europe, a consortium of Akzo Nobel, DSM, Google and Philips agreed to purchase electricity from Windpark Krammer in the Netherlands, once the latter’s 102 MW facility becomes operational in 2019.

Corporate PPAs are expected to consistently increase as more companies try to accomplish their targets on renewable procurement. Around 71 of Fortune 100 firms in the US have already fixed their renewable targets and 22 Fortune 500 companies are poised to become 100% renewable in time, thus buoying demand for renewables.

While we have highlighted the positive long term drivers for the renewables energy market, there are key near term challenges, primarily emanating from the US, where Trump’s support for the use of fossil fuels could prove to be a major headwind for the sector. His decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement and terminate the Clean Power Plan is expected to affect demand for renewables. In its 2018 budget, his government reduced funding for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The funding for EERE was slashed by about a staggering 70% to $636 million from $2.09 billion which is expected to put a spanner on R&D development in the US renewable industry. Despite these concerns, it is still expected that investment in renewables will increase as deployment is largely controlled at state level.

Additionally, lobbyists are pushing to stall the march of renewables. In the US, growth in solar panel installations has slowed in 2017, due primarily to efforts by large utility firms who are lobbying to roll back incentives for private customers deploying rooftop solar panels, which they consider a significant threat to their business model.

Within the UK, the period since 2016 has been challenging for the renewables industry. Renewables investments in the UK dropped in 2016, even as it remained the largest investor in the European renewable sector for the second year in a row. Historically, the industry has been well supported by favourable government policies, including the Renewables Obligation (RO) policy and the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) scheme. However, last year, Britain slipped to its lowest position on an international league table of the best countries to invest in for renewable energy. A rollback in subsidies for onshore wind farms resulted in the cancellation of about 250 projects. Meanwhile, new solar panel installations declined by 81% in the UK in the first three months of 2017 following the withdrawal of subsidies and an 800% hike in taxes on rooftop solar projects. Furniture maker, Ikea recently announced that it will not invest the planned £524 million in its UK green energy fund in the wake of this policy change.

Additionally, the decision by the government to allow fracking for the oil and gas industry has led to near term headwinds, even as the latter development has received fierce opposition from the public due to environmental concerns and risk of earthquakes in the region.

A key development in the UK market in recent times has been the emergence of disruptive energy start-ups using cutting-edge technologies to create new products and services using renewable energy. As a result of this, major traditional utilities companies in the UK have lost more than 2 million customers since 2010. These small energy suppliers in the UK now hold about 18% share in the dual-fuel energy market, up from just 1% in 2012.

One of these disrupters is Bulb, a start-up that supplies 100% renewable energy to its UK customers at an affordable rate. The company has only one tariff for both electricity and gas supply. Energy supplied comes mainly from a number of independent renewable generators across the UK and three hydropower plants. The company’s customer base has risen to 100,000 customers now.

Another emerging player is Good Energy, which generates and purchases renewable electricity and supplies the same to its UK customers. The company has 2 wind farms at Delabole and Hampole along with 7 solar farms. The Group supplies electricity to over 71,000 customers and supplies gas to over 44,000 domestic customers.

Ecotricity, whose name featured in UK’s top 10 most disruptive companies for 2016, produces electricity by harnessing the power of the wind and the sun. The company successfully raised over £12 million from its corporate mini-bond ‘ecobond four’ from customers to invest in the capital requirements of green energy generation. The company has a 25.3% stake in Good Energy and acquired SunEdison’s rooftop operations in the UK last year.

The alternative energy market has come a long way from its inception and has bright prospects as companies and governments all over the world move towards a more carbon-constrained future. The decline in costs of solar and wind technologies is set to give tough competition to the use of conventional energy and these alternatives are slowly becoming more mainstream in nature. Increasing procurement of renewables by corporates is also starting to become a key driver of demand. There are near term headwinds, which include political factors. Notwithstanding the current political environment, the long-term outlook for the renewable energy market looks promising and it is expected to attract huge investment in the future, thanks to the rapid developments in underlying technology and rising investments in emerging economies.

Motif Bio Plc – Motif Bio Presents New Pre-Clinical Data for Iclaprim at IDWeek 2017™

Posted on by shardadmin
  1. Pre-Clinical Data Support the Potential Use of Iclaprim in the Treatment of Staphylococcus aureusPneumonia in Cystic Fibrosis Patients

 

  1. Iclaprim Demonstrates Potent In VitroSuppression of Exotoxins in MRSA Isolates

 

Motif Bio plc, a clinical stage bio pharmaceutical company specialising in developing novel antibiotics, announced that new pre-clinical data with its investigational drug candidate iclaprim were presented today during the IDWeek 2017™ conference, held in San Diego, CA, 4-8 October 2017.

 

Efficacy Evaluation of Iclaprim in a Neutropenic Rat Lung Infection Model with Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Entrapped in Alginate Microspheres (Poster #1525)

David Huang, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Motif Bio, presented data from an in vivo study evaluating the therapeutic potential of iclaprim in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) lung infections. In an in vivo model mimicking the pathophysiology observed in patients with cystic fibrosis, rats received either iclaprim 80 mg/kg (n=16), iclaprim 60 mg/kg (n=16), vancomycin 50 mg/kg (n=24) or placebo (n=29). Regardless of dose, the iclaprim-treated rats demonstrated 100% survival (33/33), while the vancomycin group demonstrated 91.7% survival (22/24) and the control group showed 48.3% survival (14/29).  In addition to the improved survival rates, iclaprim treatment resulted in a significantly greater reduction in bacterial colony forming units (CFUs) compared to vancomycin (iclaprim 80 mg/kg vs vancomycin: p=0.0002; iclaprim 60 mg/kg vs vancomycin: p=0.05).  The poster is available on the IDWeek website at this link.

 

Dr Huang commented: “Following the recently announced positive, top-line Phase 3 REVIVE-2 clinical trial results for iclaprim for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI), the data presented today at IDWeek underscore the potential utility of iclaprim in a range of patient populations with suspected MRSA infections, including cystic fibrosis patients with Staphylococcus aureus lung infections.  Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of pneumonia in patients with cystic fibrosis and we do not believe that any antibiotic has been approved for this indication.  Some 80% or more of patients with cystic fibrosis die as a result of respiratory infections caused by a variety of bacteria, and MRSA infections have been growing in recent years.  The encouraging new data presented today support developing iclaprim as a potential treatment option for MRSA infections in patients with cystic fibrosis, and iclaprim was recently granted Orphan Drug Designation in the U.S. for Staphylococcusaureus lung infections in this patient group.” 

 

 

Effects of Iclaprim and Trimethoprim on Exotoxin Production by Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus(Poster #1219)

Amy Bryant, PhD, VA Medical Center, Boise, ID presented data from an in vitro study evaluating the effects of sub-inhibitory doses of dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors (iclaprim and trimethoprim), compared to cell wall-active agents (nafcillin, vancomycin) on the exotoxin production from two clinical MRSA isolates.  Exotoxins such as alpha-hemolysin (AH) and Toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) mediate the development of disease, and inhibition of toxin production is an important consideration in choosing appropriate treatments for MRSA infections. Vancomycin is recommended for severe MRSA infections; however, increasing vancomycin resistance, poor clinical outcomes and kidney toxicity are serious concerns.  The results, showed that iclaprim and trimethoprim delayed the onset of mRNA production, suppressed AH production, and delayed maximal TSST-1 in two community-acquired MRSA strains. The poster is available on the IDWeek website at this link.

 

Dr. Huang said: “Toxin suppression is an important therapeutic goal for severe infections due to toxin-producing Gram-positive pathogens such as MRSA. The in vitro data presented show that Iclaprim, at concentrations below those that inhibit bacterial growth, suppress toxin production. Iclaprim is 15-fold more active than trimethoprim, supporting the use of iclaprim to treat serious MRSA infections in hospitalised patients.”

 

 

For further information, please contact:

 

Motif Bio plc info@motifbio.com
Graham Lumsden (Chief Executive Officer)
Robert Dickey IV (Chief Financial Officer)
Walbrook PR Ltd. (UK FINANCIAL PR & IR) +44(02079338780 /motifbio@walbrookpr.com
Paul McManus Mob: +44 (0)7980 541 893
Mike Wort Mob: +44 (0)7900 608 002
MC Services AG (EUROPEAN IR) +49 (0)89 210 2280
Raimund Gabriel raimund.gabriel@mc-services.eu
The Trout Group (US IR) +1 (646 )378-2938
Michael Gibralter mgibralter@troutgroup.com
Lazar Partners (US PR) motiflp@lazarpartners.com
Chantal Beaudry +1 (646) 871-8480
Amy Wheeler +1 (646) 871-8486

 

Notes to Editors

 

IDWeek 2017™

 

IDWeek 2017™ is the combined annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA), and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS). The annual meeting is attended by more than 6,000 healthcare professionals practicing or involved in infectious diseases and healthcare epidemiology and prevention, including researchers, clinicians, quality and patient safety practitioners, and epidemiologists. It is a recognized forum for peer-reviewed presentations of new research on scientific advances and bench-to-bedside approaches in prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and epidemiology of infectious diseases, including HIV, across the lifespan.

 

About Iclaprim

 

Iclaprim is a novel investigational antibiotic that has a different and underutilised mechanism of action compared to other antibiotics. Iclaprim exhibits potent in vitro activity against gram-positive clinical isolates of many genera of staphylococci, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Iclaprim is rapidly bactericidal, achieving 99.9% in vitro kill against MRSA within 4 to 6 hours of drug exposure versus 8 to 10 hours for vancomycin. To date, iclaprim has been studied in over 1,300 patients and healthy volunteers. In clinical studies iclaprim has been administered intravenously at a fixed dose with no dosage adjustment required in patients with renal impairment or in obese patients. The iclaprim fixed dose may, if approved, help reduce the resources required in hospitals since dosage adjustment by health care professionals is avoided and overall hospital treatment costs may be lower, especially in patients with renal impairment.

 

About Motif Bio

 

Motif Bio plc (AIM/NASDAQ: MTFB) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in the research and development of novel antibiotics designed to be effective against serious and life-threatening infections in hospitalised patients caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria, including MRSA. The Company’s lead product candidate, iclaprim, is being developed for high-risk MRSA patient populations. The first proposed indication, and near-term commercial opportunity, is for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI), one of the most common bacterial infections, with 3.6 million patients hospitalised annually in the US. The Company believes that iclaprim may be suitable for first-line empiric therapy in ABSSSI patients, especially those with renal impairment, with or without diabetes. Unlike current standard of care antibiotics, in clinical trials to date, nephrotoxicity has not been observed with iclaprim and dosage adjustment has not been required in patients with renal impairment.

 

Iclaprim has an underutilised mechanism of action compared to other antibiotics. Clinical and microbiology data indicate iclaprim has a targeted gram-positive spectrum of activity, low propensity for resistance development, fixed dose administration and favourable tolerability profile. Additionally, data support that the inactive metabolites of iclaprim clear through the kidneys. The Company also plans to develop iclaprim for hospital acquired bacterial pneumonia (HABP), including ventilator associated bacterial pneumonia (VABP), as there is a high unmet need for new therapies in this indication. A Phase 2 trial was conducted to study iclaprim in patients with HABP. Iclaprim has been studied in an animal model of chronic pulmonary MRSA infection which mimics the pathophysiology observed in patients with cystic fibrosis. Results from this study were presented at IDWeek 2017™ on 6 October 2017 in San Diego, CA. Iclaprim has received Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) designation from the FDA together with Fast Track status. Upon acceptance by the FDA of a New Drug Application (NDA), iclaprim will receive Priority Review status and, if approved as a New Chemical Entity, will be eligible for 10 years of market exclusivity in the U.S. from the date of first approval, under the Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now Act (the GAIN Act). In Europe, 10 years of data exclusivity is anticipated.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Words such as “expect,” “believe,” “intend,” “plan,” “continue,” “may,” “will,” “anticipate,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause Motif Bio’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Motif Bio believes that these factors include, but are not limited to, (i) the timing, progress and the results of clinical trials for Motif Bio’s product candidates, (ii) the timing, scope or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals for Motif Bio’s product candidates, (iii) Motif Bio’s ability to successfully commercialise its product candidates, (iv) Motif Bio’s ability to effectively market any product candidates that receive regulatory approval, (v) Motif Bio’s commercialisation, marketing and manufacturing capabilities and strategy, (vi) Motif Bio’s expectation regarding the safety and efficacy of its product candidates, (vii) the potential clinical utility and benefits of Motif Bio’s product candidates, (viii) Motif Bio’s ability to advance its product candidates through various stages of development, especially through pivotal safety and efficacy trials, (ix) Motif Bio’s estimates regarding the potential market opportunity for its product candidates, and (x) the factors discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Motif Bio plc’s Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on May 1, 2017, which is available on the SEC’s web site, www.sec.gov. Motif Bio plc undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

 

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals Plc – Cornell University Update

Posted on by shardadmin

Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals Plc (LSE: HEMO), the biotechnology company developing novel therapies to transform bone marrow transplantation, announces that Cornell University (“Cornell”) has elected to receive payment of the sum due to it on the change of control of Hemogenyx LLC (“LLC”) half in new shares and half in cash. The sum owing is $372,350 and arises under the Exclusive Licence Agreement between Cornell and the LLC relating to the patents covering the method of isolation of post-natal hemogenic endothelial cells, invented by Dr Sandler, and as further described in the Company’s prospectus of 8 September 2017 (“Prospectus”).

 

As stated in the Prospectus, the Company originally expected that Cornell would elect to have the entire sum paid to it in cash shortly following Admission. The half payable in shares amounts to 4,008,504 ordinary shares of the Company at a price per share of £0.035 (the same price as the Placing Price). Following Admission these shares will represent 1.13% of the Company’s total share capital. The half payable in cash is $186,175 and is payable within 30 days.

 

Words and phrases used in this announcement have the same meanings as in the Prospectus unless otherwise stated.

 

Dr. Robin Campbell, Chairman, commented: “We are encouraged that Cornell University has elected to become a shareholder in Hemogenyx. The foundational technology behind our future cell therapy product was developed at Weill Cornell Medicine and we are very pleased to count Cornell as one of our investors, supporting the development of novel therapies that could transform Bone Marrow transplantion.”

 

Enquiries:

 

Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals Limited www.hemogenyx.com
Dr Vladislav Sandler, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder Via Walbrook PR
Dr Robin Campbell, Chairman
Optiva Securities Ltd Tel: +44 (0)20 3137 1902
Christian Dennis
Shard Capital Partners LLP Tel: +44 (0)20 7186 9950
Damon Heath, Erik Woolgar
Peterhouse Corporate Finance Limited Tel: +44 (0)20 7469 0930
Lucy Williams/Duncan Vasey
Walbrook PR Tel: +44 (0)20 7933 8780 or hemogenyx@walbrookpr.com
Paul McManus Mob: +44 (0)7980 541 893
Flowcomms IR Mob: +44 (0)7891 627 441 or sasha@flowcomms.com
Sasha Sethi

 

 

 

 

 

About Hemogenyx (www.hemogenyx.com)

 

Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals plc wholly owns US operating subsidiary, Hemogenyx LLC, which is incorporated in the state of Delaware.

 

Hemogenyx LLC is a pre-clinical stage biopharmaceutical group developing new treatments for blood diseases, such as leukaemia, lymphoma and bone marrow failure. Hemogenyx has two distinct and complementary products:

 

  1. Conditioning product

 

Proprietary CDX bi-specific antibodies for conditioning patients (immunotherapy class product candidate). The CDX bi-specific antibodies redirect a patient’s own immune cells to eliminate unwanted blood stem cells preparing a patient for bone marrow (“BM“) (also known as haematopoietic stem cell (“HSC“)) transplantation. The Directors believe that this product could replace traditional methods of conditioning of chemotherapy and radiation which are damaging to a patient’s health.

 

Hemogenyx has achieved proof of principle for the use of CDX antibodies. It has functionally validated CDX bi-specific antibodies in vitro and in vivo in humanised mouse models. It is anticipated that the CDX bi-specific antibodies will be capable of use as an “off-the-shelf” conditioning product available for application in relation to patients for all BM/HSC transplantations that require conditioning.

 

  1. Cell Therapy product

 

Human Postnatal Hemogenic Endothelial Cells (“Hu-PHECs“) generate cancer-free, patient-matched blood stem cells. The Hu-PHECs, being cancer-free cells, are intended to largely eliminate traditional BM/HSC transplants by improving the efficacy of the therapy and, for most patients, potentially eliminating the problem of having to find a matching donor that the majority of patients needing BM/HSC transplants currently face. The Directors believe that Hu-PHEC based cell replacement therapy will expand access to the BM/HSC transplants and, when fully developed, could revolutionise the ability of the body to regenerate a functioning blood system.

 

Hu-PHEC cell therapy is considered by the Directors to be the only therapy on the market or in trials that could result in a reset of the blood system to a “clean state” therefore diminishing the risk of cancer relapse. Hemogenyx estimates a substantial market expansion opportunity by providing Hu-PHEC therapy to patients unable to find a donor match.  Dr Vladislav Sandler, Co-Founder and CEO of Hemogenyx, was the person to discover that these cells continue to exist in adults.

 

The Conditioning and Cell Therapy products are designed to address a range of problems that occur with current standard of care treatments. Both technologies are complementary with one another and are considered to have the potential to enhance current clinical practice.  As such, they also have potential as a substantial driver in the growth and application of BM/HSC transplants, individually and used in conjunction with one another.

 

 

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals Plc – Admission and First Day of Dealings

Posted on by shardadmin

Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals Plc (LSE: HEMO), the biotechnology company developing novel therapies to transform bone marrow and blood stem cell transplantation, announces the readmission of its enlarged issued share capital to the standard listing segment of the Official List and to trading on the main market for listed securities of the London Stock Exchange.

 

The Company is the holding company for Hemogenyx LLC, a US-based biotechnology company developing therapies to transform bone marrow and blood stem cell transplantation. These therapies will replace the need for existing methods of preparation of patients for a transplantation such as chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and will address the problem of finding a matching stem cell donor and reduce the risk of blood stem cell rejection after transplantation.

 

About Hemogenyx

  • Hemogenyx is a preclinical stage biopharmaceutical group developing new treatments for blood diseases such as leukaemia, lymphoma and blood marrow failure
  • Hemogenyx therapies are designed to provide new treatments in bone marrow/stem cell transplants, improving  the success and safety of such treatments
  • Two products under development –
  1. Conditioning product – This product, CDX bi-specific antibodies, redirects a patient’s own immune cells to eliminate unwanted blood stem cells preparing a patient for bone marrow (also known as haematopoietic stem cell) transplantation. The Directors believe that this product could replace traditional methods of conditioning such as chemotherapy and radiation which are damaging to a patient’s health.
  2. Cell therapy product – This cell replacement product uses human postnatal hemogenic endothelial cells (“HuPHECs”) to generate cancer-free, patient-matched blood stem cells after transplant into the patient. Being patient-matched, the risk of rejection of the cells and the problem of blood stem cell matching is greatly reduced. Dr Sandler was the person to discover that these cells continue to exist in adults.
  • Market size (2015) c. $8-9billion in USA and Europe
  • Hemogenyx products would substantially increase market size by addressing current stem cell treatment problems of patient suitability, stem cell donor availability and relapse/cell rejection

 

Transaction summary

  • Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals Limited, the holding company of Hemogenyx LLC, acquired for £8m (the “Acquisition”) by Silver Falcon plc
  • Acquisition satisfied by the issue of 228,571,428 Consideration Shares at a price of 3.5p per share.
  • £2m raised through the issue of 57,142,857 New Ordinary Shares in a Placing and Subscription at a price of 3.5p per share,
  • Acquisition was classified as a reverse takeover for the purpose of the Listing Rules
  • Change of name to Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals Plc
  • Total number of Ordinary Shares in issue on Admission of 356,042,854
  • Market capitalisation of £12.46m based on Placing price of 3.5p per share

 

Dr Vladislav Sandler, CEO & Co-Founder of Hemogenyx, commented: “We are encouraged by the extensive work done to date and excited by the prospect of taking this forward into human trials and beyond thanks to the fund-raising facilitated by the reverse listing of our company on the London Stock Exchange. We believe the products we are developing should greatly reduce the dangers of patient conditioning procedures and create a new form of blood stem cell transplantation which, if successful, would greatly enhance the long-term success of stem cell replacement therapy.  We look forward to keeping shareholders fully abreast of developments as they occur.”

 

Enquiries:

 

Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals Limited www.hemogenyx.com
Dr Vladislav Sandler, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder Via Walbrook PR
Dr Robin Campbell, Chairman
 
Optiva Securities Ltd Tel: +44 (0)20 3137 1902
Christian Dennis
Shard Capital Partners LLP Tel: +44 (0)20 7186 9950
Damon Heath, Erik Woolgar
 
Peterhouse Corporate Finance Limited Tel: +44 (0)20 7469 0930
Lucy Williams/Duncan Vasey
Walbrook PR Tel: +44 (0)20 7933 8780 or hemogenyx@walbrookpr.com
Paul McManus Mob: +44 (0)7980 541 893
Flowcomms IR Mob: +44 (0)7891 627 441 or sasha@flowcomms.com
Sasha Sethi  

 

 

About Hemogenyx (www.hemogenyx.com)

 

Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals plc wholly owns US operating subsidiary, Hemogenyx LLC, which is incorporated in the state of Delaware.

 

Hemogenyx LLC is a pre-clinical stage biopharmaceutical group developing new treatments for blood diseases, such as leukaemia, lymphoma and bone marrow failure. Hemogenyx has two distinct and complementary products:

 

  1. Conditioning product

 

Proprietary CDX bi-specific antibodies for conditioning patients (immunotherapy class product candidate). The CDX bi-specific antibodies redirect a patient’s own immune cells to eliminate unwanted blood stem cells preparing a patient for bone marrow (“BM“) (also known as haematopoietic stem cell (“HSC“)) transplantation. The Directors believe that this product could replace traditional methods of conditioning of chemotherapy and radiation which are damaging to a patient’s health.

 

Hemogenyx has achieved proof of principle for the use of CDX antibodies. It has functionally validated CDX bi-specific antibodies in vitro and in vivo in humanised mouse models. It is anticipated that the CDX bi-specific antibodies will be capable of use as an “off-the-shelf” conditioning product available for application in relation to patients for all BM/HSC transplantations that require conditioning.

 

  1. Cell Therapy product

 

Human Postnatal Hemogenic Endothelial Cells (“Hu-PHECs“) generate cancer-free, patient-matched blood stem cells. The Hu-PHECs, being cancer-free cells, are intended to largely eliminate traditional BM/HSC transplants by improving the efficacy of the therapy and, for most patients, potentially eliminating the problem of having to find a matching donor that the majority of patients needing BM/HSC transplants currently face. The Directors believe that Hu-PHEC based cell replacement therapy will expand access to the BM/HSC transplants and, when fully developed, could revolutionise the ability of the body to regenerate a functioning blood system.

 

Hu-PHEC cell therapy is considered by the Directors to be the only therapy on the market or in trials that could result in a reset of the blood system to a “clean state” therefore diminishing the risk of cancer relapse. Hemogenyx estimates a substantial market expansion opportunity by providing Hu-PHEC therapy to patients unable to find a donor match.  Dr Vladislav Sandler, Co-Founder and CEO of Hemogenyx, was the person to discover that these cells continue to exist in adults.

 

The Conditioning and Cell Therapy products are designed to address a range of problems that occur with current standard of care treatments. Both technologies are complementary with one another and are considered to have the potential to enhance current clinical practice.  As such, they also have potential as a substantial driver in the growth and application of BM/HSC transplants, individually and used in conjunction with one another.

 

De-risking with proof of principle

The Company has established sound proof of principle for both the conditioning and the transplant cell technology through studies conducted in the human hematopoietic system of humanised animals.  Such studies demonstrate that the CDX antibody-targeted conditioning regime provides a good environment for subsequent stem cell transplantation. Studies in similar animal models indicate that Hu-PHECs are capable of safe and efficient restoration of the human hematopoietic system.

 

Fast tracked as FDA Orphan Drug

Hemogenyx LLC has been granted FDA Orphan Drug Designation for the Hu-PHEC product in relation to the treatment of aplastic anaemia, which will enable it to move forward to clinical trials faster. Aplastic anaemia, or bone marrow failure, is a rare disorder in which the bone marrow fails to create enough blood cells. Hemogenyx applied for Orphan Drug Designation in this regard as the results are capable of use in expanding the application of Hu-PHEC treatment for more complex and frequently diagnosed blood diseases, such as lymphomas and leukaemia.

 

Exclusive license and Patent Protection Pending

Hemogenyx LLC holds an exclusive, worldwide, sub-licensable license from Cornell University for Dr Sandler’s invention, the Hu-PHEC, which is now at PCT stage covering various regions including the US, Canada, Japan, EU, Israel, China and Australia. Additionally, Hemogenyx LLC has filed a provisional “composition matter” patent application for the CDX bi-specific antibody product.

 

Hemogenyx expects to complete a pre-Investigative New Drug (“IND“) consultation programme with the FDA in relation to the CDX product and will apply to obtain Orphan Drug Designation (“ODD“) for the CDX product in relation to patient conditioning for pre-BM/HSC transplantation in a number of different blood cancers and disorders.

 

Milestones

 

The Company’s further proposed milestones over the eighteen months from Admission for its CDX product include completing a preclinical evaluation and the required IND-enabling studies, filing an IND application with the FDA and preparing to move into Phase 1 clinical trials.  To assist in the progression of its own product candidates, Hemogenyx is collaborating with, and receiving income from, third parties in deploying its proprietary animal models to assist in the evaluation of the immunogenicity of such third parties’ biologics which are under development for clinical usage.

 

Hemogenyx’s objectives over the eighteen months from Admission for the Hu-PHEC product candidate will be to take forward the Hu-PHEC Umbilical product candidate so all actions necessary prior to an IND application have been completed.  The IND process is a key part of the process for taking drugs and treatments into clinical trials in the United States.  The Company will concentrate on pre-clinical toxicology studies and will continue development of other Hu-PHEC applications, including applying for ODD status for use of Hu-PHEC in a number of other blood diseases in addition to that already achieved for aplastic anaemia.

 

Further Background

 

Blood cancers affect over 1.1 million people in the United States each year, and it is estimated that 171,500 new blood cancer diagnoses were made in 2016.  After exhausting all conventional treatment options, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy and immunotherapy, a BM/HSC transplant is typically the only remaining choice for blood cancer patients.  Hemogenyx seeks to address the following problems that arise with BM/HSC transplants:

 

  • Difficulties in preparing patients for BM/HSC transplants – the broad range of adverse side effects of currently used methods of conditioning patients for BM/HSC treatment has harmful and in many cases life-threatening effects on patients undergoing such conditioning, preventing many patients from receiving such treatment.
  • Acute shortage of BM/HSC donors – at least 60% of eligible patients in the US are unable to find an appropriately matched donor.
  • High failure rate of BM/HSC transplants – up to 50% of BM/HSC transplants fail due to the body’s rejection of the transplant, complications from the procedure or a relapse of the disease.

 

BM/HSC transplantations require conditioning (preparation) of patients for the transplantation. Conditioning of a patient for BM/HSC transplant is integral to the procedure and is traditionally achieved by administering chemotherapeutic agents sometimes in conjunction with radiation. These preparative regimens are toxic and non-selective, resulting in severe side effects which can be life-threatening as the entire body is targeted. These side effects include death, radiation damage, fertility issues, damage to bone and bone growth problems.

 

Notwithstanding the risks, HSC/BM transplantations are used in an increasing range of blood cancers and other non-malignant disorders.  However, many patients are still unable to undergo the procedure, with a large minority of patients who do facing significant dangers in both the conditioning before the transplantation and during the BM/HSC transplant procedure itself.  Additionally, matching donors are more likely to be found among close relatives or from people with ethnically similar backgrounds to the patient and, as the global population becomes more heterogeneous, the problem of finding matching donors is also likely to increase.

 

Use of proceeds of the Placing and the Subscription

 

Following the Placing, the Subscription and Admission, and taking into account the Company’s and Hemogenyx’s existing funds and contracted revenue from Hemogenyx’s clinical collaboration work, the Company will have cash resources of approximately £3.1m.

 

The Company expects that its existing cash resources combined with the net proceeds of the Placing and the Subscription should be sufficient to complete the IND-enabling preclinical development of its lead product, the CDX bi-specific antibody, and to finance significant further preclinical development of certain of the Company’s Hu-PHEC cell therapy product candidates, as described above.

 

Directors of the Enlarged Group

 

Vladislav Sandler Ph.D.

Chief Executive Officer

 

Dr. Vladislav Sandler is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hemogenyx and a research Assistant Professor at the State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate. Dr. Sandler is a widely-published stem cell scientist with decades of experience in scientific research. In particular, Dr. Sandler has extensive experience developing novel methods of direct reprogramming of somatic cells into functional and engraftable hematopoietic stem cells, as well as developing novel sources of pluri- and multi-potent cells.

 

Dr. Sandler has conducted his research in Israel, Canada and the United States, including at the Children’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School, the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences, Harvard University and Albert Einstein College of Medicine.  He also led a team of scientists at Advanced Cell Technologies, Inc. and was most recently on the faculty of Weill Cornell Medical College. While at Cornell, Dr. Sandler made the significant discovery that the cells that give rise to blood stem cells during mammalian development continue to exist after birth, and he developed the method of isolation of these cells from humans. As a result of this important work, Dr. Sandler was awarded the inaugural Daedalus Fund Award for Innovation at Cornell. He went on to found Hemogenyx in order to further pursue this significant scientific discovery and his dedication to the translation of science into clinical practice.

 

Dr. Sandler has published numerous peer-reviewed papers, and has received a number of awards and fellowships for his scientific research. Dr. Sandler received his PhD from the University of British Columbia. He is a member of the International Society for Stem Cell Research.

 

Dr Robin Campbell

Chairman

 

Robin Campbell, PhD has more than 30 years’ experience working in the pharmaceutical industry with large companies (Shell Research, Beecham International (now GSK)), start-ups (Porton International, PafraBio) and in investment banking primarily in life sciences investment research (including Credit Suisse, Jefferies).

 

Currently his specialty is searching out investable opportunities in the broader life sciences sector, and helping smaller companies raise growth capital. Robin has helped list a number of companies onto AIM and other international exchanges, advised companies on secondary fundraisings, private equity raises, M&A and has a broad reach into institutional and retail investor networks.

 

Initial roles in industry with, inter alia, Shell Research and Beecham International (now GSK) encompassed R&D, international strategic marketing and market access. He has also worked with start-ups such as Porton International and Pafra Biopreservation in business development roles. As a pharmaceutical and biotech analyst, his experience extends back more than twenty years with a range of firms including Credit Suisse First Boston, Hoare Govett and Jefferies International and more recently he has acted in a consultancy role in relation to a range of life sciences IPOs, AIM introductions and M&A activity.

 

He has a degree in Microbiology from King’s College London and a Ph.D. in Immunobiology from Liverpool University. Dr. Campbell currently advises a number of private and listed businesses in respect to strategic and financial market opportunities.

 

Lawrence Pemble

Chief Operating Officer

 

Lawrence Pemble has over the past six years developed experience in establishing, financing and developing new businesses.

 

He has led financing rounds, M&A activities, worked for public companies and has held executive roles, up to and including CEO, for start-up and private equity backed ventures, both in private and public capacities.

 

He has worked extensively in the Private Equity industry, where he has held executive positions in life science and technology focused companies, most recently a Director of Blackcomb Technologies Limited, a Canadian private equity firm focused on military electronics and in Bonsai Capital Limited, a life sciences focused Private Equity company where he is currently a Director. Prior to this, he held a number of managerial and development positions in resources companies, in the gold and oil and gas sectors.

 

Timothy Le Druillenec

Finance Director and Company Secretary

 

Timothy is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and provides consultancy and accounting services to a number of public and private companies in some cases fulfilling the role of director and/or Company Secretary.  During 2013 he acted in the same capacity at the AIM listed Leed Resources Plc, Kennedy Ventures Plc and Pires Investments Plc. From 2005 to 2012, he was CEO of Richards Walford & Company Ltd, a fine wine importer. Prior to that from 1995 to 2004, he was the group finance director and company secretary of Pacific Media Plc, a Main Market Company, and during that time occupied the same roles at Bella Media Plc an AIM listed company. He is currently Financial Director of Dukemount Capital plc.

 

Alexis M. Sandler

Non-Executive Director

 

Alexis M. Sandler is the co-founder of Hemogenyx, for which she has served as the Chief Operating Officer. An attorney with fifteen years of experience in intellectual property and copyright, Ms. Sandler handles day-to-day legal and operational matters for the Company.

 

Ms. Sandler began her legal practice in Los Angeles at Hogan & Hartson LLP (now Hogan Lovells), specializing in media and intellectual property law. She then worked for several years at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP representing studios, production companies, television networks, technology companies and other major media companies in all aspects of entertainment, media and intellectual property law. For three years, Ms. Sandler worked as the Director of Business and Legal Affairs for a division of the Fox Entertainment Group, where she advised the company on important intellectual property, corporate and other legal and business matters. Ms. Sandler went on to become the General Counsel at a Smithsonian affiliate museum in New York City, and is currently the Associate General Counsel at The Museum of Modern Art and the Secretary of the Board of Directors of its affiliate institution, MoMA PS1.

 

Ms. Sandler received her AB from Harvard University, her JD from the UCLA School of Law and her MA from New York University. She is a member of the State Bar of New York and the State Bar of California.

 

Peter Redmond

Non-Executive Director

 

Peter Redmond is a corporate financier with some 30 years’ experience in corporate finance and venture capital. He has acted on and assisted a wide range of companies to attain a listing over many years, on the Unlisted Securities Market, the Full List and AIM, whether by IPO or in many cases via reversals, across a wide range of sectors, ranging from technology through financial services to natural resources and biotech, in recent years often as a director and shareholder of the companies concerned. He has been active over many years in corporate rescues and reconstructions on AIM and in reverse transactions into a range of investing companies. He was a founder director of Cleeve Capital plc (now Satellite Solutions plc) and Mithril Capital plc (now BeHeard plc), both of which were admitted to the Standard List of the London Stock Exchange, and took a leading role in the reconstruction and refinancing of AIM-quoted Kennedy Investments and 3Legs Resources plc. He is a director of AIM-quoted Pires Investments plc.

 

Adrian Beeston

Non-Executive Director

 

Adrian Beeston specializes in the financing and structuring of small to medium size businesses, and the flotation of these companies on the American Stock Exchange, AIM Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange.  Prior to this, Adrian was at Altium Capital, a major pan-European corporate finance house, where he focused primarily on the raising of private equity.

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE/DISCLAIMER:

 

The information contained in this announcement is not for release, publication or distribution to persons in the United States, Australia, Canada or Japan or in any jurisdiction where to do so would breach any applicable law. No public offer of securities is being made by virtue of this announcement.

 

This announcement has been prepared for the purposes of complying with the applicable laws and regulations of the United Kingdom and the information disclosed may not be the same as that which would have been disclosed if this announcement had been prepared in accordance with the laws and regulations of any jurisdiction outside of the United Kingdom.

 

This announcement may include statements that are, or may be deemed to be, “forward-looking statements”. These forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms “targets”, “believes”, “estimates”, “plans”, “projects”, “anticipates”, “expects”, “intends”, “may”, “will” or “should” or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans, objectives, goals, future events or intentions. These forward looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts and involve predictions. Forward-looking statements may and often do differ materially from actual results. Any forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s current view with respect to future events and are subject to risks relating to future events and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to the Company’s business, results of operations, financial position, liquidity, prospects, growth or strategies and the industry in which it operates. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and cannot be relied upon as a guide to future performance. Save as required by law or regulation, the Company disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this announcement that may occur due to any change in its expectations or to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this announcement.

 

Except as explicitly stated, neither the content of the Company’s website, nor any website accessible by hyperlinks on the Company’s website is incorporated in, or forms part of, this announcement.

 

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

Silver Falcon – Result of General Meeting

Posted on by shardadmin

Silver Falcon Plc, (LSE: SILF), which has agreed to acquire the biotechnology company Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals Limited (“Hemogenyx”), announces that following a General Meeting of the Company today all resolutions were duly approved by shareholders, including in relation to the waiver of Rule 9 of the Takeover Code and the Placing and Subscription. 

Accordingly, the Acquisition and the related Placing and Subscription will complete tomorrow, 5 October 2017, subject only to the readmission of the enlarged share capital to the standard listing segment of the Official List and to trading on the main market for listed securities of the London Stock Exchange (“Admission”), which is expected to commence at 8.00 a.m. on 5 October 2017. 

On Admission, the Company’s total issued share capital will consist of 356,042,854 Ordinary Shares of £0.01 each.  The Company holds no Ordinary Shares in treasury.  The above figure (356,042,854) may be used by shareholders (and others with notification obligations) as the denominator for the calculation by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals plc under the FCA’s Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. 

The Company will trade under the new company name of Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals Plc and the Company’s new London Stock Exchange TIDM ticker symbol will be HEMO and its ISIN will remain as GB00BYX3WZ24.

In addition, the Company’s new website address will be www.hemogenyx.com 

Enquiries:

 

 

This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange