Arecor Therapeutics PLC's (AIM:AREC) signing of an exclusive licensing agreement for AT351, a ready-to-dilute formulation of a speciality hospital product, has been welcomed by analysts at Panmure Liberum, who described the deal as “encouraging”.
The company will receive an upfront payment, of a currently undisclosed amount, plus potential future payments tied to development, regulatory, and commercial milestones, as well as royalties from global sales.
The licensee – a pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialisation of speciality drugs, and is a subsidiary of one of the world's largest independent chemicals marketing companies – will be responsible for all development and regulatory activities.
While financial estimates remain unchanged due to limited details, Panmure Liberum highlighted the potential for AT351 to be submitted to regulators within three years.
The analysts also emphasised that while Arecor’s primary value lies in its proprietary insulin and GLP-1 drug programmes, partnerships like this could provide near-term, low-risk revenue, easing cash requirements.
The agreement reflects Arecor’s strategy to leverage its formulation expertise to generate supplementary income alongside advancing its core portfolio.
Panmure Liberum says 'buy' up to 361p (current price 72p), noting: "Arecor has a number of formulation development agreements with pharma partners, using its Arestat technology to create novel formulations of existing products.
"We expect more of these agreements to convert to licence agreements in time, in the short term generating milestones with the potential to move to royalty income once products are launched."