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Quoted Micro 6 January 2025
Global Connectivity (GCON) is investing £50,000 in PLUG Group, which is a 4% stake. PLUG is developing opportunities to extract decommissioned copper cables for South American telecoms companies. Livia Meyer has returned 32.5 million shares and paid £50,000 for the other five million shares subscribed for. Executive chairman Dr Keith Harris has paid the £200,000 he owes for shares he acquired. Barry Hersh has still not paid the £375,000 for the 37.5 million shares that he subscribed for.
SulNOx Group (SNOX) reported a rise in interim revenues from £136,000 to £440,000. The loss increased from £870,000 to £1.17m. There was £804,000 in the bank at the end of September 2024.
KRI (KR1) had net assets of 100.04p/share at the end of November 2024. Income of £771,347 was generated during the month. There is cash of £624,000.
Walls and Futures REIT (WAFR) maintained its NAV at 85p/share at the end of September 2024. There was a small reported profit after a £40,000 increase in property values. Management is hopeful that government plans for social and affordable housing will provide opportunities for the company.
Video technology company Visum Technologies (VIS) improved revenues from £63,000 to £130,000 in the year to June 2024. The cash outflow from operating activities was £133,000, leaving £49,000 in the bank. The focus is the leisure market, but the company wants to find other applications for its technology. Costs are being controlled.
Consumer finance provider Investment Evolution Credit (IEC) generated full year revenues of £455,000 and lost £247,000. There was cash of £101,000 at the end of June 2024.
Coinsilium (COIN) has entered into a strategic collaboration with Otomato Inc, a Web3 technology platform for autonomous agent-based solutions. The idea is to maximise the value of Coinsilium’s digital assets. The initial term is 12 months.
At the end of September 2024, Hot Rocks Investments (HRIP) NAV was £698,000, including £342,000 in cash.
Supernova Digital Assets (SOL) has bought back 67 million shares at an average price of 0.2239p each. The buyback authority lasts until the end of 2025.
Tap Global Group (TAP) has been granted virtual asset service provider registration in Bulgaria. This is a step towards expanding in the EU.
Blue Sky Vision has exercised its option to subscribe for 20 million shares in Valereum (VLRM) at 10p each.
Three directors of Invinity Energy Systems (IES) bought shares at 14.85p/share. Chairman Neil O’Brien bought 135,000 shares, chief executive Jonathan Marren acquired 134,680 shares and finance director Adam Howard purchased 134,333 shares.
Evrima (EVA) has appointed Bowsprit Partners as corporate adviser.
AIM
Pri0r1ty Intelligence Group (PR1) joined AIM on 30 December following the reversal of the AI customer relationship technology company into Alteration Earth. The business provides AI tools to automate areas such as social media and governance for smaller companies. Spreadex has sold a 3.99% stake and retains voting rights through financial instruments of 0.75%. The share price declined by 24.1% from the placing price to 10.25p, although it is 18% down on the Alteration Earth suspension price of 12.5p.
Poolbeg Pharma (POLB) is in talks with potential bidder HOOKIPA Pharma (NASDAQ: HOOK) about an all-share offer from the Nasdaq-listed company. The indicated proposal is 0.03 of a HOOKIPA share for each Poolbeg share. Cancer and infectious disease treatments developer HOOKIPA intends to raise up to $30m. That will fund phase 2a trails for POLB 001 and trials of two other treatments. HOOKIPA shareholders would receive a contingent value right instrument entitling them to 55% of milestone payments made by Gilead for HB-400 and HB-500 programmes. This could be worth up to $407.5m. They are also entitled to 80% of the proceeds generated by the HB-200 programme.
SDX Energy (LSD) postponed the general meeting on 31 December. This was called to gain shareholder approval to leave AIM due the costs of the quotation and the greater potential flexibility as a private company. Potential investors would apparently prefer to invest in an unquoted company. The strategy continues to be to become a vertically integrated gas and renewable energy producer in Morocco. The general meeting will be rearranged.
Revolution Beauty (REVB) has come to a confidential agreement with Chrysalis Investments (CHRY) over the claims related to its investment in the company when it joined AIM in July 2021. Last year, Chrysalis Investments issued draft particulars of a claim £39m plus additional consequential loss of £6.2m. Chrysalis Investments will be paid a non-material amount of cash with out admission of liability.
Arecor Therapeutics (AREC) has signed an exclusive licence agreement for a formulation of liquid drug product AT351 for a large client. The use of the product is undisclosed. There is an upfront milestone payment with potential for further payments. The licensee will be responsible for further development and hopes to seek FDA approval within three years. Panmure Liberum has a target share price of 361p.
Marketing services provider The Mission Group (TMG) has completed its restructuring with the sale of AprilSix to US-based Marketbridge for up to £17.4m. The initial payment is £10.5m and reduces pro forma net debt to £17m. This will enable the company to negotiate an extension to its debt agreement. AprilSix generated 13.5% of 2023 revenues of £86.3m. A share buyback of up to £1.5m will be launched. There could be a dividend paid for 2025.
Cancer treatments developer Hutchmed (China) Ltd (HCM) has followed up the sale of its non-core 45% interest in Shanghai Hutchison Pharmaceuticals for $608m with news of the acceptance of a new drug application in China for savolitinib in combination with AstraZeneca’s Tagrisso as a treatment for lung cancer.
Cancer treatments developer ValiRx (VAL) has extended the exclusivity period with TheoremRx Inc on the sub-licence of VAL201 until the end of May 2025. This is the final extension, and it is due to TheoremRx Inc being involved in a transaction with a Nasdaq listed company.
Pulsar Helium Inc (PLSR) is raising up to $7.5m at 38 cents(30p)/share. A loan will be provided by University Bancorp Inc will provide a $4m line of credit to ABCrescent Cooperatief so that it can exercise 15.5 million warrants. The cash will finance exploration at the Topaz project in Minnesota and enable a decision to be made on a combined helium and CO2 production facility. Further drilling on the Jetstream #1 appraisal well will restart this week.
Restaurants operator Tasty (TAST) has received £2.5m from an insurer for breach of contract for insurance for losses in 2020. This will lead to an exceptional gain of £1.5m in 2024.
Huddled Group (HUD) acquired the 25% of Boop Beauty it did not own for £100,000 in cash.
Functional food ingredients developer Provexis (PXS) doubled interim revenues to £785,000. There was a reported loss, but a £17,000 cash inflow from operating activities. Cash was £478,000 at the end of September 2024.
MAIN MARKET
Power electronics developer for electric vehicles DG Innovate (DGI) is cancelling its listing in the transition category of the Main Market because of the difficulty in raising cash since floating on the now-defunct standard list via reverse takeover of Path Investments in April 2022. DG Innovate did raise £500,000 at 0.08p/share. This will help to support the joint venture with Indian electric vehicle manufacturer EVage Automotive for the production of DG Innovate’s Pareta e-drives and provide working capital until early February 2025. Much more cash will be required, though.
Roquefort Therapeutics (ROQ) is planning to sell Lyramid, which has a portfolio of antibody and mRNA based therapied that focus on cancer target Midkine, for a minimum of $10m. The business was acquired for £1m. This would mean that Roquefort Therapeutics would take a share stake in the buyer Pleiades Pharma. The deal replaces the previously announced licensing proposal.
Capricorn Energy (CNE) did not receive the final settlement payment of $22.5m from Waldorf Production UK for earnout considerations. As part of this deal, Capricorn Energy acquired a 25% stake in the Columbus field in the North Sea. Capricorn Energy is considering its options.
Andrew Hore
Alan Green covers Clontarf Energy #CLON, Voyager Life (M3 Helium) #VOY & Poolbeg Pharma #POLB on this week’s Stockbox Research Talks
Alan Green covers Clontarf Energy #CLON, Voyager Life (M3 Helium) #VOY & Poolbeg Pharma #POLB on this week’s Stockbox Research Talks
Poolbeg Pharma #POLB – CEO Jeremy Skillington talks to Alan Green
Poolbeg Pharma CEO Jeremy Skillington talks to Alan Green, and recaps on the developments at the company since last year. These include the strategic collaboration with a Nasdaq-Listed Biopharma Co to use Poolbeg’s oral delivery technology, the expansion of Poolbeg’s IP, and the appointment t of a number of key former Amryt Pharma executives, namely David Allmond, John McEvoy and Laura Maher. Jeremy highlights the recent progress with the flagship POLB 001 and its potential in both preventing and treating cancer immunotherapy-induced CRS (Cytokine Release Syndrome), and then looks at the Oral GLP-1R agonist and the latest from the AI collaboration with CytoReason. We finish by looking at the team, which now includes Cathal Friel who has returned to the helm as Exec Chairman, the robust financial position and upcoming milestones for 2024.
Poolbeg Pharma #POLB August 2023 – CEO Jeremy Skillington talks to Alan Green
Poolbeg CEO Jeremy Skillington talks to Alan Green in this August 2023 interview, and explains the company’s ‘capital light’ model that is giving the group a real market advantage. Jeremy then covers the developments this year with Poolbeg’s flagship POLB001 asset towards a blockbuster treatment for severe influenza, and the expansion of application into oncology and obesity. We then discuss joint ventures with AnaBio Technologies in the EncOVac consortium and the Cytoreason AI collaboration, before looking at Jeremy’s own aspirations and thoughts for Poolbeg’s future.
Poolbeg Pharma #POLB – POLB 001 LPS human challenge clinical trial successfully completed & no serious adverse events reported.
12 December 2022 – Poolbeg Pharma (AIM: POLB, OTCQB: POLBF, ‘Poolbeg’ or the ‘Company’), a leading infectious disease focused biopharmaceutical company, announces that, further to its announcement in July 2022, it has now received the initial results having completed the Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) human challenge clinical trial for POLB 001, a viral strain agnostic, small molecule immunomodulator being developed to address the unmet medical need for severe influenza.
Key highlights from the study:
· No further clinical activity is required to complete the objectives of the trial, bringing the recruitment and clinical phase to a close on schedule
· No serious adverse events reported. POLB 001 was found to be safe and well tolerated
· Data analysis has commenced and full data read-out is expected in Q2 2023
· The comprehensive dataset is expected to facilitate progression of the product to the next clinical phase for potential partners
This LPS challenge trial was designed to evaluate the effect of POLB 001 on inflammatory responses in 36 healthy volunteers between 18 and 55 years of age following an intradermal and an intravenous LPS challenge. LPS acts as a surrogate for the hyperinflammatory response associated with severe influenza and other diseases.
POLB 001 is a unique potential treatment for viruses such as severe influenza as it is strain agnostic, unlike other flu treatments and prophylactics. This means that it can be effective regardless of which strain of influenza is dominant in any particular season or geography. As a shelf-stable, oral drug it could also be ideal as a stockpiling candidate for both seasonal outbreaks and pandemic preparedness.
Jeremy Skillington, PhD, CEO of Poolbeg Pharma, said:
“We have completed our first trial on schedule, achieving a key milestone for Poolbeg, thanks to the committed efforts of the team. We are actively planning the next steps for POLB 001 and are engaging with industry on potential partnering opportunities.
“The threat of influenza shouldn’t be underestimated. Cases are on the rise – the WHO estimates that there are 3-5 million severe influenza cases globally per year, with real pandemic potential. Severe influenza can also lead to other major complications such as pneumonia and stroke. There is a significant unmet need for severe influenza treatments, so we eagerly anticipate the full results of this study next year.”
Matthijs Moerland, PhD, Principal Investigator at CHDR, said:
“LPS human challenge trials are a highly reliable way of measuring the efficacy of anti-inflammatory drugs and these initial data are an important first step. We are pleased to be involved in the development of a potential treatment for such an unmet need as severe influenza and we look forward to the vital insights that the full analysis will bring.”
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Enquiries
Poolbeg Pharma Plc Jeremy Skillington, CEO Ian O’Connell, CFO
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+44 (0) 207 183 1499 |
finnCap Ltd (Nominated Adviser & Joint Broker) Geoff Nash, Charlie Beeson, Nigel Birks, Harriet Ward (ECM)
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+44 (0) 207 220 0500 |
Singer Capital Markets (Joint Broker) Phil Davies, Sam Butcher
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+44 (0) 207 496 3000 |
J&E Davy (Joint Broker) Anthony Farrell, Niall Gilchrist
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+353 (0) 1 679 6363 |
Optimum Strategic Communications Mary Clark, Nick Bastin, Manel Mateus, Vici Rabbetts
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+44 (0) 208 078 4357 poolbeg@optimumcomms.com |
About Poolbeg Pharma
Poolbeg Pharma specialises in the development of innovative medicines to address the unmet need in prevalent and emerging infectious diseases. Poolbeg has a disciplined portfolio approach to mitigate risk, accelerate drug development and enhance investor returns. The Company simultaneously advances multiple programmes in cost-effective clinical trials, rapidly generating early human safety and efficacy data to enable early partnering / out-licensing, with the funds generated reinvested in the pipeline. Poolbeg also uses AI to interrogate human challenge trial data sets to quickly identify new targets and drugs, and in-license near or in the clinic medicines, leading to faster development and greater commercial appeal.
The Company is targeting the growing infectious disease market. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, infectious disease has become one of the fastest growing pharma markets and is expected to exceed $250bn by 2025.
With its initial assets from hVIVO plc (formerly Open Orphan plc), an industry leading infectious disease and human challenge trials business, Poolbeg has access to knowledge, experience, and clinical data from over 20 years of human challenge trials. The Company is using these insights to acquire new assets as well as reposition clinical stage products, reducing spend and risk. Amongst its portfolio of exciting assets, Poolbeg has a small molecule immunomodulator for severe influenza (POLB 001) which has completed its LPS human challenge trial with full data read-out expected in Q2 2023; a first-in-class, intranasally administered RNA-based immunotherapy for respiratory virus infections (POLB 002); and a vaccine candidate for Melioidosis (POLB 003). The Company is also developing an Oral Vaccine Platform and is progressing two Artificial Intelligence (AI) Programmes to accelerate the power of its human challenge model data and biobank, with results from the first programme expected by year end.
For more information, please go to www.poolbegpharma.com or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn @PoolbegPharma.
Further detail on POLB 001
This trial is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multiple dose, LPS human challenge trial in 36 healthy volunteers to assess the potential efficacy of POLB 001 in treating the hyperinflammatory responses associated with severe influenza. As part of the trial, researchers stimulated the immune systems of healthy volunteers with LPS across three cohorts. LPS triggers a robust immune response and acts as a surrogate for the hyperinflammatory effects associated with severe influenza infection, as well as other diseases. Each cohort received escalating doses of POLB 001 to evaluate its effectiveness in suppressing the body’s harmful inflammatory response to both intradermal (a shallow injection) and intravenous (an injection in a vein) administered LPS, which will produce a broad-ranging dataset.
Given POLB 001’s mode of action, it is viral strain agnostic as it treats the body’s reaction to infection rather than targeting the virus directly and, as such, POLB 001 is unaffected by the seasonal variants of influenza that arise each year which is a significant advantage over influenza treatments available on the market. Therefore, POLB 001 has the potential to be a transformational treatment for patients and to become a leading severe influenza treatment. POLB 001 has patent protection until 2038 and is a shelf-stable oral drug which makes it ideal as a stockpiling candidate for both seasonal outbreaks and pandemic preparedness.
POLB 001 also has potential therapeutic applications beyond severe influenza, due to its mode of action of reducing hyperinflammation (cytokine storm). This is when harmful inflammation occurs in different areas of the body, such as the heart and lungs, causing organ damage which is linked with many diseases. POLB 001 has the potential to block this by interrupting the positive feedback loop of inflammatory mediators. Poolbeg is currently investigating new potential uses and in due course hopes to expand its IP around this asset to cover new disease areas thereby increasing the value of the asset.
The data collected in the previous Phase I study demonstrated that POLB 001 administration produces a potent and long-lasting inhibition of p38 MAP Kinase activity in humans. The study showed that after administration of single doses up to 600 mg and repeated doses up to 150 mg there were neither serious nor limiting adverse events to POLB 001, and that after a twice daily dose of 150mg an inhibition of LPS-induced TNFα of between 70% and 90% was achieved.
About Influenza
Influenza is a viral pathogen that infects approximately one-eighth of the world’s population each year, an estimated 1 billion people infected globally, attacking the respiratory system leading to between 5 and 10 million hospitalisations and as many as 500,000 influenza related deaths. Survivors of severe influenza can suffer organ damage, leading to chronic and life-changing injuries. Complications include a 6-fold increased risk of heart attack, an 8-fold increased risk of Pneumonia, and an 8-fold increased risk of stroke. This leads to an enormous compound cost of treatment – influenza contributes to an estimated economic burden of $11.2bn every year in the US alone
Poolbeg Pharma #POLB – Influenza Artificial Intelligence model build completed & on track to deliver outputs in Q2 2023
Poolbeg Pharma (AIM: POLB, OTCQB: POLBF, ‘Poolbeg’ or the ‘Company’), a clinical stage infectious disease pharmaceutical company with a unique capital light clinical model, announces that, further to its announcement in March 2022 , the construction of the computational artificial intelligence (AI) influenza disease model has been completed by CytoReason Limited (‘CytoReason’), indicating that it is on track to deliver outputs in Q2 2023.
The model aims to unlock clinically meaningful insights into influenza infection and recovery through the analysis of Poolbeg’s unique human challenge trial data. CytoReason has now built a tailored AI model using Poolbeg’s data which will allow the team to identify novel influenza drug targets for Poolbeg.
CytoReason’s technologies are externally validated through its commercial partnerships with five of the world’s top ten global pharma companies accessing its world-leading AI models, including Pfizer, Roche, and Sanofi. CytoReason’s application of Poolbeg’s unique human challenge trial data to build and train its first AI model in infectious diseases further testifies to the value of this data.
CytoReason’s world leading algorithms and experts will enable the Poolbeg team to identify the most promising drug targets to treat disease. The Company plans to source drugs with existing Phase I safety data that, in line with the Poolbeg business model, can immediately continue clinical development to rapidly generate early human proof of concept data for influenza, with the ultimate aim of monetising the asset through partnerships and licensing deals with pharma and biotech.
Jeremy Skillington, PhD, CEO of Poolbeg Pharma, said:
“CytoReason builds world-class AI disease models and we look forward with great anticipation to the outputs from their analysis of our unique repository of clinical samples and associated data from influenza human challenge trials. Indeed this is the first time that AI is being used to analyse influenza human challenge trial data which Poolbeg is proud to be part of.”
“Completion of this first stage of development demonstrates yet another milestone reached in the Company’s stated R&D strategy and brings us one step closer to realising the significant opportunities that arise from this partnership. There is a growing focus on AI discovered drug targets within the industry and we are assessing interest in collaboration opportunities for our AI-enabled novel targets which we expect in Q2 2023 from this programme. “
David Harel, CEO of CytoReason, said:
“Now that our influenza disease model has been enriched by Poolbeg’s unparalleled data, we are excited to evaluate the novel disease mechanisms on our platform. This will potentially identify drug targets that can be used to develop treatments for influenza, a significant global health threat, in a much shorter time-frame and more cost effectively than with traditional reductionist analysis and drug discovery techniques.”
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Enquiries
Poolbeg Pharma Plc Jeremy Skillington, CEO Ian O’Connell, CFO
|
+44 (0) 207 183 1499 |
finnCap Ltd (Nominated Adviser & Joint Broker) Geoff Nash, Charlie Beeson, Nigel Birks, Harriet Ward (ECM)
|
+44 (0) 207 220 0500 |
Singer Capital Markets (Joint Broker) Phil Davies, Sam Butcher
|
+44 (0) 207 496 3000 |
J&E Davy (Joint Broker) Anthony Farrell, Niall Gilchrist
|
+353 (0) 1 679 6363 |
Instinctif Partners Melanie Toyne Sewell, Rozi Morris, Tim Field, Adam Loudon
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+44 (0) 20 7457 2020 |
Further detail on Poolbeg’s Artificial Intelligence Programmes
Poolbeg Pharma has access to a unique private repository of clinical samples and associated data from human challenge trials via its relationship with hVIVO plc (formerly Open Orphan plc), a resource which is anticipated to expand over the coming years.Data from human challenge trials are unique in that they track a healthy subject through disease to recovery in carefully controlled and monitored isolation units, collecting samples throughout the course of disease, and vitally collecting matched baseline and follow-up samples before and after infection. This data is unique in the depth of longitudinal virology, health, biomarker and symptom data collected during the course of disease. These datasets provide clinical insights into disease that guides Poolbeg Pharma’s product acquisitions and clinical development.
CytoReason’s machine learning algorithm works by combing through enormous repositories of clinical data to build models of human disease, which can then be used by biotech and pharmaceutical partners to identify novel targets, prioritise mono/combination therapies, find biomarkers, and understand which patients will benefit most from those new treatments. CytoReason will be analysing blood transcriptomics, proteomics, DNA sequences and viral loads and disease signs and symptoms from the human challenge trials. The aim is for CytoReason to prioritise new drug targets quickly and cost effectively, in a manner consistent with Poolbeg’s business model.
The Company is currently progressing two AI Programmes, the first in RSV in partnership with OneThree Biotech , and the second in influenza in partnership with CytoReason . Poolbeg believe that this is the first time that AI analysis has been undertaken on RSV and influenza human challenge trial data and samples to identify new drug targets and treatments. The unique nature of human challenge trials to produce disease progression data with high precision is revolutionising the insights into human disease.
About Influenza
Influenza is a viral pathogen that infects approximately one-eighth of the world’s population each year, an estimated 1 billion people infected globally, attacking the respiratory system leading to between 5 and 10 million hospitalisations and as many as 500,000 influenza related deaths. Survivors of influenza can suffer organ damage, leading to chronic and life-changing injuries. Health organisations have warned that the upcoming influenza season could be especially severe, as a consequence of low immunity to the virus due to the pandemic causing a break in exposure.
About Poolbeg Pharma
Poolbeg Pharma is a clinical stage infectious disease pharmaceutical company, with a unique capital light clinical model which aims to develop multiple products faster and more cost effectively than the conventional biotech model. The Company, headquartered in London, is led by a team with a track record of creation and delivery of shareholder value and aspires to become a “one-stop shop” for pharma and biotech seeking mid-stage products to license or acquire.
The Company is targeting the growing infectious disease market. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, infectious disease has become one of the fastest growing pharma markets and is expected to exceed $250bn by 2025.
With its initial assets from hVIVO plc (formerly named Open Orphan plc), an industry leading infectious disease and human challenge trials business, Poolbeg has access to knowledge, experience, and clinical data from over 20 years of human challenge trials. The Company is using these insights to acquire new assets as well as reposition clinical stage products, reducing spend and risk. Amongst its portfolio of exciting assets, Poolbeg has a small molecule immunomodulator for severe influenza (POLB 001) which has commenced its LPS human challenge trial with initial results expected by year end 2022; a first-in-class, intranasally administered RNA-based immunotherapy for respiratory virus infections (POLB 002); and a vaccine candidate for Melioidosis (POLB 003). The Company is also developing an oral vaccine delivery platform and is progressing two artificial intelligence (AI) programmes to accelerate the power of its human challenge model data and biobank, with results from the first programme expected by year end 2022.
For more information, please go to www.poolbegpharma.com or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn @PoolbegPharma.
About CytoReason
CytoReason is a leading technology company developing computational disease models. The company collects proprietary data from pharmaceutical companies and uses it to simulate human diseases – tissue by tissue and cell by cell. With CytoReason’s massive database and AI-led platform, pharma and biotech companies can identify new opportunities, shorten trial phases, reduce development costs, and increase the likelihood of drug approval. To date, five of the world’s top ten pharma companies use CytoReason’s technology. For more information, visit www.cytoreason.com or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.