The latest Investing Matters Podcast episode featuring Jeremy Skillington, CEO of Poolbeg Pharma has just been released. Listen here.
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmayo/detail/recent-activity/
Here is a LinkedIn post from a couple of days ago, promoting the fact that KPMG had advised on on 5 Health and Life Sciences M&A deals in Q1 21.
Seems pretty innocuous, so I wonder why Chris Yates was one of only a handful of people which liked it? Probably nothing, but could be something....
Glad u liked it!
Right,funny.
Ha! Quite write :)
quite radically
Actually it says “set to expand QUITE RAPIDLY over the next few months”
Don’t want to bang on too much about Vatic, because we don’t know for certain we’re manufacturing for them, but this is nevertheless worth a listen from about 20 secs onwards. https://twitter.com/TimesRadio/status/1362030713256759305
Its the Vatic CEO on 17 Feb (post the GAD, ODX, SS announcements), commenting about U.K. manufacturing scale up and in particular that “there has been a major drive to massively increase the supply of sovereign lateral flow tests in the U.K, a program we’ve been involved with where industry has really come together and supported each other to deliver a massive initiative in delivering tests that are made, and even designed and then delivered in the U.K., and obviously that’s begun now with a couple of companies involved but that is set to expand over the next few month so that we can meet that challenge..........we make all of our tests in the U.K.”
So I guess this serves as further confirmation that there is large scale industry collaboration going on behind the scenes to achieve massively scaled domestic manufacturing supply, which can only benefit ABDX. I really do think that when AVCT, ODX, ABDX etc get news, it may be an “out of left field” surprise.
Mr 25k jumped in for 75k just after 4pm as usual, this is the big signal for me, price even jumped 2% today but the mm's had to do something I guess as taking the p**** a bit the past few days/ weeks
Just to add, one other person liking the Vatic post was Robert Nixon, Commercial Director, Strategy and Market Engagement at Test and Trace, and previously Deputy Director for Complex Transactions in the Cabinet Office.
Seems like Vatic certainly cant be ignored as a potential dark horse, and there seems to be plenty to suggest ABDX are involved with them.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/procurement13/?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAAABGLP8BeSv0mcLLc6lwrRdVYG4E01NwERk
It’s interesting to look at Chris Yates LinkedIn activity
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-yates-75970b1b/detail/recent-activity/
Of note is that he liked the Vatic (Alex Sheppard) posting of this DT article. More interesting is it was also liked by ABDX Chief Ops Officer, Digital Mktg Manager, and head of contract sales, along with Chris Malloy (chair of RTC) and around 290 others.
Oh, and he also liked the Concepta post re the Boots tie up...
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/lateral-flow-validation-prioritisation-criteria-for-rapid-diagnostic-assays-for-specific-sars-cov-2-antigens
In February DHSC changed their priorities for sample collection method:
1) Anterior nares swab - outer nose
2) Mid-turbinate swab - little bit more uncomfortable
3) Saliva - possibly because it can be difficult to get sufficient saliva.
Note the following:
'A lateral flow device will only be considered for validation when all lateral flow devices with a higher priority specimen collection method have been considered for validation.'
While a saliva-only test is valid and will be considered, it won't be validated before the higher priority tests have completed their validations.
Yeah was a bit of a clickbait headline, was worried when I saw it as I'm invested probably like many here in Avct. Zero actual mention of gov interest.
No problem, but don’t think the article really says Vatic are the govts preferred test...
Thank you sir! Much appreciated
Pt2
The start-up has been trialling its technology at Edinburgh Airport and is working with Hearts Football Club on a test programme.
Dr Mona Kab Omir, chief technology officer at Vatic, said, “The more we can encourage and enable regular testing across the population - giving people clarity about whether they are infected, and, critically, infectious) - the quicker our lives will start to look more ‘normal’.”
Because Vatic’s test spots when cells are being infiltrated by coronavirus, it can also detect mutations with similar accuracy.
With the mutations, Mr Sheppard said vaccines would be “part of a trident of solutions with vaccines, testing and mask wearing and handwashing.”
For now, the test will be available for professional use, but could ultimately become a self-test.
Governments have been the biggest procurers of tests, but Mr Sheppard said he expected more companies would start buying test kits as the private sector took over. “It was important for us to do as much work in the UK as we could,” he said.
While the UK’s Test and Trace system has been criticised, it has now conducted more than 125 million tests and last week averaged 1.2 million tests per day.
There is a pipeline of trials to use the test in care homes, hotels and businesses.
At the moment, its tests are being made in the UK with the aim for 1 to 2 million tests per month by the end of summer, with a view to roll them out in the autumn. He said the company had to start on a “small scale” before opening into other markets.
“The need for these tests is enormous,” he said. “But this is a big opportunity to have a wide social impact and move really quickly.”
Pt1
The Government has backed a 15-minute test that uses only saliva to detect Covid-19 in the hope of speeding up economic recovery and reopening clubs and stadiums.
The test, created by Oxford start-up Vatic, does away with the invasive nasal swabs currently used in lateral flow tests, which are uncomfortable and particularly difficult with young children.
Vatic’s “KnowNow” test can detect coronavirus using only saliva by monitoring for when Covid spike proteins are present on the outside of cells.
“Every other test detects the nuclear protein at the centre of the cell,” said Alex Sheppard, chief executive of Vatic. “What we detect is the cell entry mechanism - the way it infects cells. This is the only way to delineate between infectious virus and non-infectious virus.”
The use of a saliva swab is also easier for schools than current tests. “A problem we have seen with the schools programme is that uptake of testing is challenging when it is uncomfortable to do,” he said. “It is not conducive to regular use.”
The test does not pick up viral fragments, meaning it will not react when a person only has dead Covid cells in their body. This could make it more accurate for use with an app for entering venues, since people who are not infectious would still be able to enter. Vatic is also working on a testing app to accompany its swab.
Last week, the test received a European CE mark and was registered with the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). It received some funding through the Government's Innovate UK scheme. It is also taking part in clinical trials with 650 patients in the US and Brazil to reach FDA requirements for its test.
Mr Sheppard said new types of rapid tests could help with the safe re-opening of the economy.
Anyone got a telegraph subscription that could post up this vatic article: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2021/04/03/government-backs-15-min-covid-test-reopen-clubs-sports-stadiums/amp/