Regeneus - Several interested parties in Japan

Regeneus has revised expected timing of an osteoarthritis (OA) clinical development licence deal for Progenza in Japan to Q4 CY18 (vs Q218); it is currently in active discussions with several parties. A licence deal would trigger a US$5m milestone payment from partner AGC and would effectively see Progenza commence a Phase II trial in knee OA in Japan. Regeneus is in separate discussions with potential licensees for other indications and territories for Progenza, as well as for its other pipelin

Regeneus - Preparing for a clinical licence deal in Japan

Regeneus is aiming to sign one or more clinical development licence deals for Progenza in the current financial year. It is well placed to achieve this goal, having already granted AGC an exclusive licence to manufacture Progenza for Japan, reported promising signs of efficacy from the successful Phase I trial of Progenza in knee osteoarthritis and been granted a Progenza patent in Japan. Regeneus reported an A$3.3m profit in FY17, thanks to the US$5.5m upfront payment and US$1m milestone from t

Regeneus - Positive STEP data and Japan patent grant

Regeneus announced that its Phase I STEP knee osteoarthritis (OA) trial met its primary safety endpoint at 12 months and produced promising signs of efficacy, including clinically meaningful reductions in pain for the majority of patients and improvement in knee cartilage volume. Separately, it has also been granted a key patent that protects Progenza in Japan until 2032. The positive data and patent grant will be helpful as the company seeks to advance licensing discussions for Progenza for OA

Japan collaboration validates Progenza

Regeneus has entered into a US$16.5m collaboration with AGC Asahi Glass (AGC) for manufacture of Progenza for the Japanese market. Regeneus and AGC have formed a 50:50 JV for clinical development and commercialisation of Progenza in Japan – we expect the JV to sub-license one or more partners to undertake clinical trials in a number of indications in Japan. We welcome the deal, which strengthens Regeneus’s balance sheet and provides significant validation for the Progenza technology and IP. Our

Japan licence deal close to finalisation

Regeneus anticipates entering a binding arrangement with a manufacturing and commercialisation partner for its Progenza mesenchymal stem cell therapy technology in Japan by the end of the current quarter. Following on from the positive safety review of its STEP Phase I trial of Progenza in patients with knee osteoarthritis, it has already begun procuring donor material in preparation for manufacturing Progenza for a Phase II trial in Japan. Our valuation is virtually unchanged at A$108m (A$0.52/

Potential Japan licence deal a STEP closer

Regeneus reported that its STEP Phase I trial of Progenza in patients with knee osteoarthritis has completed recruitment and that a review of safety data did not identify any safety concerns. The study will complete in H117 when all patients have completed 12 months follow-up. We believe the positive safety review augurs well for the company’s plan to secure a manufacturing and commercial partner for its Progenza mesenchymal stem cell therapy technology in Japan in the current quarter, which may

Partner for CryoShot a vote of confidence

The agreement with one of the top five veterinary pharma companies to collaborate on the development of CryoShot Canine is recognition of the good progress that Regeneus has made developing its regenerative medicine products and cancer vaccines. At its recent AGM, Regeneus confirmed that it anticipates winning the much bigger prize of a manufacturing and development partner in Japan for its Progenza off-the-shelf human stem cell product by Q116. We maintain our valuation of A$106m (A$0.51/share)

Potentially two partnering deals in H215

Regeneus has sharpened its focus on its area of expertise in early-stage development of regenerative medicine products and cancer vaccines. This strategy appears to be bearing fruit, with partnering arrangements for both its human and veterinary off-the-shelf stem cell therapies expected to be finalised before the end of CY15. A partnering deal for Progenza in Japan is likely to be a re-rating catalyst. Our valuation is A$106m (A$0.51/share).

SkinBioTherapeutics - FY23 results

SkinBioTherapeutics has published results for the 12-months to June 2023, reporting AxisBiotix-Ps revenues up 77% YoY to £132k and an improved gross margin of 65% (FY22A: 61%). Operating costs were stable and the operating loss was flat YoY at £3.0m. Cash at the year-end was £1.3m and subsequently the company raised c£3.3m gross via a placing and retail offer. We have introduced FY24 forecasts with this report, expecting continued growth in AxisBiotix-Ps revenues supported by territory expansion

Fundraising looks well supported

RUA have announced, subject to shareholder approval at a General Meeting, the intention to raise equity via the combination of an institutional placing of shares, a subscription by certain directors and a retail offer. While the minimum gross proceeds are expected to be at least £4.1m, the full amount raised will be fluid until after the retail offer and shareholder approval. The final proceeds raised should be known after the outcome of the Retail Offer is announced on 8 December, and sharehold

RUA Life Sciences - Billion-dollar markets

RUA Life Sciences is developing products targeting billion-dollar global healthcare markets, which, if successfully commercialised it will generate significant value for the company. The current raise will support the business as it seeks to deliver the growth opportunities within its Contract Manufacturing business unit and commercialise and partner its lead vascular graft products and its heart valve leaflet composite material. We believe the company offers an attractive combination of establi

FY23 results: consolidation and cash generation

For the year to 30 September 2023, Benchmark Holdings reported revenue FY23 of £169.6m, +7.5%YoY (currency adjusted +7%YoY) which was 0.7% below our outlook, and adjusted EBITDA of £35.5m, +9%YoY, 5% above our outlook. Net operating cash of £20.0m was almost double FY22 (£10.8m) with a notable improvement in working capital management from £(12.0)m to £(1.0)m underlining efforts to control costs and improve operational efficiency. Net debt was £45.6m, with year-end cash at £36.5m. The Group rep

Hybridan Small Cap Feast - 01/12/23

1st December 2023 @HybridanLLP Status of this Note and Disclaimer This document has been issued to you by Hybridan LLP for information purposes only and should not be construed in any circumstances as an offer to sell or solicitation of any offer to buy any security or other financial instrument, nor shall it, or the fact of its distribution, form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any contract relating to such action. This document has no regard for the specific investment obje

LSE AIM Market Screener - 22 June 2023

 The market capitalization of 806 AIM stocks was £89.3bn as of 20 June 2023. FTSE AIM All Share Index was down 5.55% YTD to 785.2 as of 21 June 2023. There were 32 companies delisted from AIM over the period December 2022-June 2023. Among the top YTD winners, there were Celadon Pharmaceuticals (up 209%, MktCap £95m), Vast Resources (+211% YTD, Mkt Cap of £15m), B90 Holdings (+200%, MktCap £22mn), Verditek (154%, MktCap £6mn), Star Phoenix Group (+162%, MktCap $1.6mn), Inspecs Group (+162%, Mk

Cambridge Nutritional Sciences - H1 2024 interims: Executing a newly focussed st

Cambridge Nutritional Sciences (CNS) has published its H1 2024 results to end September 2023. Group revenues grew 44% to £4.9m and gross profits increased by 63% to £3.1m, with the company benefitting from newfound operational efficiencies. With its now streamlined strategy focussing on the core Health & Nutrition business and the initial signs of an encouraging uptick in sales momentum, we believe the company is well positioned for growth that will help create future value for shareholders. We

5 Small caps to Buy - August 2021

Historically, small caps stocks have outperformed larger listed companies after economic downturns and this trend is ringing true once again, with smaller stocks offering better returns in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is currently an exciting time to be invested in smaller companies and for those with a keen eye for detail that can identify companies with financial strength and strong management teams, there is potentially lots of upside available.

Bio-detection becomes a commercial reality

Recent new contracts show that Kromek’s investment in bio-hazard detection technology is becoming a commercial reality. On 26 October the Group received a US$5.9m (£4.84m) contract from the US Department of Homeland Security Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office - the first for Kromek - to research and develop technologies for agent-agnostic bio-detection. On 31 October Kromek announced 3 more orders for CBRN detection worth a total of US$1.0m (£0.82m), most of which is expected

4basebio - Interims – scaling to meet anticipated commercial traction

4basebio’s half-year results for the period ended 30 June 2023 reflect continued progress towards its main objective of producing GMP-grade synthetic DNA, with a focus on building out its commercial footprint. It generated revenues of £0.24m (+57%, with all growth coming from the sale of DNA and Hermes™ nanoparticles) with an adjusted net loss of £3.5m (H1 2022: £2.4m, +46%) and period-end cash of £3.6m, having drawn a further €4m from its €23m loan facility that gives it a cash runway into 2025

Morning Note – 1 December 2023

UK market leader Holland & Barrett is now distributing SlimBiome

OptiBiotix ("OPTI") has announced that Holland & Barrett, a global nutritional food and supplement retailer, has launched a new product range under the SlimBiome brand. The weight management products, which contain OPTI's proprietary weight management formulation, will initially be available on the Holland & Barrett website and physical stores in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium and Sweden. The deal marks the 22nd commercial partnership for SlimBiome and the first wi

Hybridan Small Cap Feast - 15 Mar 23

15 March 2023 @HybridanLLP Status of this Note and Disclaimer This document has been issued to you by Hybridan LLP for information purposes only and should not be construed in any circumstances as an offer to sell or solicitation of any offer to buy any security or other financial instrument, nor shall it, or the fact of its distribution, form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any contract relating to such action. This document has no regard for the specific investment objectiv

Centene Corporation: Initiation of Coverage – Recent Restructuring & Other Drivers, Financial Forecasts, DCF & Comparables Valuation, ESG & Other Risks (03/23)

This is our first report on Centene Corporation, one of the largest health insurance players in the U.S. Centene had a successful year in 2022 and ended it on a positive note with an all-around beat. The company faced a number of difficulties, including a leadership transition, organizational structure change, modernization of corporate governance approach, concentration on core business, better operations and quality, and on-time financial obligation fulfillment. Total revenue grew by $3 billio

Cenkos: Healthcare Sector -- Ward Round

Weekly round-up of AIM-listed healthcare news. Agronomics, Eden Research, IXICO, HeiQ, Trellus Health, NetScientific, Circassia, 4basebio, Fusion Antibodies, Surgical Innovations Group, Yourgene Health, Abingdon Health, Verici Dx, Poolbeg Pharma, Omega Diagnostics