Proactiveinvestors United Kingdom ImmuPharma PLC

ImmuPharma in broker spotlight after bid emerges for rival lupus drug maker

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:32:00 +0100

GlaxoSmithKline’s $2.6 billion hostile bid for Human Genome Science yesterday highlighted the commercial potential for biotech ImmuPharma's rival lupus drug, Lupuzor, suggest analysts.

RNS press release - Posting of Annual Report and AGM Notice

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 07:00:00 +0100

ImmuPharma exploring "creative options" for Lupuzor

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:39:00 +0100

ImmuPharma’s (LON:IMM) chief executive said the company is exploring a number of “creative options” in order to bring its breakthrough drug Lupuzor through final clinical trials.

Speaking to journalists and analysts, Dimitri Dimitriou said the drug developer could team up with a contract research organisation, which would fund a phase III study of the drug for the autoimmune disease lupus.

However he was quick to add that a CRO would not be the company’s first choice and that ImmuPharma is now in “due diligence under confidentiality” with a number of companies interested in a licensing deal.

Chairman Richard Warr said: “Our key objectives for 2012 are to secure a new licensing partner for Lupuzor, to advance our cancer programme and to continue to develop the rest of our asset base.”

Dimitriou, meanwhile, revealed very little about how many potential licensing partners are interested in Lupuzor.

However he said it wouldn’t make sense to do a deal with a company smaller than Cephalon, its former partner, which was valued at $6.8 billion when it was taken over by generic drug producer, Teva, last year.

The company is keen to get the drug through its final trial stage after it clawed back the rights to the potential blockbuster from Cephalon.

The news of where the drug is heading at this crucial stage was given alongside the group’s financial results, posted this morning.

The company revealed it is in a strong financial position with a £12.2 million in the bank. As expected, the firm posted a loss in 2011 of £3.25 million.

The company also had positive news on its cancer treatment drug IPP-204106, which it said has a mechanism like no other in the market and has promising results from its phase 1/11a trial.

IPP-204106 is the result of ImmuPharma’s partnership with France’s state organisation, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and has had its patent life renewed until 2027.

Notably the drug was chosen to be on the cover article of the May 2011 issue of leading American medical journal, Cancer Research.

The share price, which has drifted 17 per cent lower in the year to date, fell a further 1.6 pence 69.90 pence as investors were made to wait for more concrete news on the Lupuzor out-licensing.

However City analysts remain upbeat on the company’s prospects and its valuation.

Singer Capital Market’s Shawn Manning rates the stock a ‘buy’ up to 85 pence, while Panmure Gordon’s Savvas Neophytou has a more punchy 150 pence a share price target.

ImmuPharma in talks with a "number of companies" over Lupuzor

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 07:34:00 +0100

Drug discovery specialist ImmuPharma this morning said it is in discussions with a “number of companies” interested in jointly developing its breakthrough drug Lupuzor.

RNS press release - Preliminary Results

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 07:00:00 +0100

ImmuPharma: Panmure is positive on prospects for Lupuzor

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:00:00 +0000

ImmuPharma's (LON:IMM) regained ownership of leading drug Lupuzor means it has huge potential, broker Panmure said today.

It can now auction off the treatment for the auto-immune disease lupus a second time, analyst Savvas Neophytou pointed out.

He has an unchanged 'buy' rating on the stock and targets a price of 150 pence - more than double the current share price of 71.5 pence.

Lupus is a term for a number of conditions, in which a person's immune system is compromised - it can affect many areas including skin, kidneys, blood and lungs.

There are around 1.5 million sufferers just in the G7 countries so the potential market Lupuzor is a blockbuster in the making.

The reason the company was able to get its hands on the prized asset again was the result of a sequence of events.

At its root was the US$6.8 billion takeover of its joint venture partner Cephalon by generic drug maker Teva.

After that deal was done, Immupharma was able to get a second bite of the cherry - and able to wrestle back the rights for the drug candidate.

What's more, it received all the data that had been collated by Cephalon for free.

But as Neophytou notes, investors have missed the significance of this huge achievement.

"While the market takes the lazy view that ‘small company takes rights back from larger company automatically means bad news for the prospects of the asset’, we think differently," he said.

The reason the British minnow was able to take the drug back was mainly thanks to a watertight initial contract with Cephalon drafted by the company's management and lawyers. It was not returned unwanted.

As at 2pm, the conmpany's shares were down 0.69 per cent, at 71.50 pence.

RNS press release - Notification of Full Year Results

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 07:00:00 +0000

RNS press release - Appoints Head of Investor Relations

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 07:01:00 +0000

ImmuPharma: A second bite at the cherry, but is the market really plugged into Lupuzor's potential?

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:11:00 +0000

Very rarely does a small drug company have the opportunity to do the same transaction twice – with every prospect of getting an even better deal the second time around. But this is exactly what has happened with ImmuPharma.

Immupharma CEO says its flagship product, Lupuzor, has great potential

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Dimitri Dimitriou, Immupharma (LON:IMM) CEO, tells Proactiveinvestors that Lupuzor has "enormous" potential and the share price doesn't represent the true value of the company. The next stage will "hopefully come soon" which will involve a deal on Lupuzor which could bring a lot of cash into the company.

Something for everyone at next Thursday's Proactive Investors One2One Forum in London: ImmuPharma, Oxford Pharmascience, Seeing Machines and Probability

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:00:00 +0000

We have a line-up that offers something for everyone at the Proactive Investors One2One Forum in London next Thursday (February 9). We have ImmuPharma and Oxford Pharmascience presenting alongside Seeing Machines and Probability.

ImmuPharma: Two directors increase holdings in firm

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:31:00 +0000

ImmuPharma (LON:IMM) said two non-executive directors had increased their holding in the firm by each buying shares worth almost £50,000.

Dr Franco di Muzio bought 60,950 shares at 81 pence per share yesterday (January 23) for around £49,370, said the drug discovery and development group.

Meanwhile, Dr Ajay Agrawal acquired 62,169 shares today (January 24) at 80 pence at a cost of around £49,735.

The London-based company has operations in France and Switzerland and has five drugs in development.

Last November, broker Merchant Securities started coverage on the company with a ‘buy’ recommendation and 323 pence share price target.

That valuation was based mainly on the potential of the company’s Lupuzor treatment for the auto-immune disease lupus, which has been given the regulatory green light to go into phase III clinical trials.

Shares in the company are currently trading at 80 pence each.

RNS press release - Directors Dealings

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:44:00 +0000

ImmuPharma's Lupuzor offers "blockbuster sales potential", says Merchant Securities

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:06:00 +0000

Merchant Securities today initiated coverage of ImmuPharma with a ‘buy’ recommendation and 323 pence share price target. The valuation is based mainly on the potential of the company’s Lupuzor treatment for the auto-immune disease lupus, which has been given the regulatory green light to go into phase III clinical trials.

ImmuPharma's Lupuzor offers "meaningful market opportunity", says Espirito Santo; shares worth 200p

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 08:34:00 +0000

Investment Bank Espirito Santo has given a bullish assessment of the prospects for ImmuPharma and its lead drug Lupuzor as it has come up with a 200 pence valuation for the shares.

RNS press release - Notification of Major Interest in Shares

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 11:43:00 +0000

ImmuPharma chief Dimitriou is very optimistic about Lupuzor future

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:30:00 +0000

ImmuPharma chief executive Dimitri Dimitriou said he is very “optimistic about the future” as the company looks to seal a new licensing deal for Lupuzor, its flagship product. He revealed the group had “rekindled discussions” with big pharmaceuticals companies, and he is hopeful a deal can be struck.

ImmuPharma says Lupuzor will move into phase III trials with Special Protocol Assessment

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 07:24:00 +0000

Any lingering doubts over Immupharma’s lead drug, Lupuzor, were dispelled this morning when the group announced it would enter phase III clinical trials.

RNS press release - LupuzorT granted approval to start phase III

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 07:00:00 +0000

RNS press release - Notification of Major Interest in Shares

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:24:00 +0000