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I suspected there might be an RNS today as there was the same pattern of heavy buying into the close yesterday as we saw with last weeks Condor RNS.

Presumably if the city boys are piling in then it bodes well for the share price today... !

Sadiq - I am also holding both; though I am more bullish on Avacta.

Some here are saying that Avacta's LFT will hit the market by 2021 owing to delays in approvals.

This is not the case: both the FDA and PHE have stated they are working to fast track LFT / POC tests to market in time for the winter flu season. Avacta's most recent RNS confirms this, stating the LFT and BAMS test are on the Uk Gov's CONDOR fast-track validation program.

Genedrive will have its day, but the timescales are not the same as Avacta's.

Also worth remembering the whole point of the CONDOR program is to recommend products for the DHSC to buy with the £5 Billion Johnson wants to spend on testing - AKA: mega orders...

IMHO...

It's now week three since Alistair stated that optimisation of the LFT would take two weeks - and I think the most recent RNS infers this work is indeed complete.

People may recall from previous presentations that Alistair outlined the workflow for LFT development: after test optimisation, the next stage is manufacturing of validation batches for clinical evaluation, undertaken by CONDOR. Validation batches are important to ensure the manufacturing process will be reliable at scale.

https://avacta.com/how-diagnostic-test-performance-is-measured/ (see slide at 8.14)

The workflow CONDOR outline states that tests are first triaged, then evaluated on initial laboratory data before being either accepted or rejected onto the CONDOR program - https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Edgtx_0WsAA1kQ-?format=jpg&name=large

If the LFT has been accepted alongside the BAMS test for evaluation by CONDOR, this would imply that laboratory performance data is available and already sufficiently impressive to warrant inclusion in the CONDOR program - any further optimisation will be fine tuning.

Note the RNS states that work to technically and clinically evaluate the BAMS test is being undertaken "immediately" - which means that validation batches of the BAMS test must have already been manufactured (otherwise how could this work commence?).

For the performance of the LFT to be evaluated, these validation batches must also be produced.

Given Alistair has mentioned repeatedly over the weeks that he is in discussion with various manufacturing partners - and that "validation batches will be produced in the UK initially" - I suspect this will be the next RNS, stating that either validation batches have entered production, or better, been transferred to CONDOR for assessment.

I very much doubt the laboratory spec would be the subject of any RNS as it is completely meaningless without clinical validation.

Therefore I think the news we will get will be on manufacturing, and on the known timescales, that news is imminent IMHO.

GLA :)

sorry posted that too early!

IMHO...

It's now week three since Alistair stated that optimisation of the LFT would take two weeks - and I think the most recent RNS infers this work is indeed complete.

People may recall from previous presentations that Alistair outlined the workflow for LFT development: after test optimisation, the next stage is manufacturing of validation batches for clinical evaluation, which in this instance will be undertaken by CONDOR.

https://avacta.com/how-diagnostic-test-performance-is-measured/ (see slide at 8.14)

The workflow CONDOR outline

stay classy, DOH85.

...showing on IG.

Feels like we need some for MM's to move us up.

DD77 - the FDA have recently said they would prioritise any LFT Saliva / Rapid POC test previously in the validation queue. I Imagine PHE / UK Regulators would take a similar approach

Link - https://www.lsegissuerservices.com/spark/Synairgen/events/97cda0b9-0529-4be1-b1ca-471cc8dc1e94

That's not what was said - it was stated it was unknown whether antibodies could provide lasting protection. They didn't mention whether the test would or wouldn't be rolled out.

Interesting tweet - https://twitter.com/gjbrandon/status/1283650542410113026?s=20

"Australian researchers track #COVID19 in #wastewater from plane and cruise ship passengers. Portable #SKIN+#MWG's #Microtox novel sensor at airport destination could identify as passengers disembark and alert before baggage is collected. http://tinyurl.com/yb6bp3ae via
@uq_news"

Does anyone have any rough ideas when we can expect news on financing or DFS?

I just sold my (small) holding for a (small) profit to release some capital from EUA, but I like the company and hope to get back in ahead of its (overdue) move upwards!

I'm keen to hear peoples thoughts on target prices in both the near and medium term, once the regulators approve/sales start/etc - preferably with some rationale as opposed to speculation!

Thanks!

(I'm holding shares for medium term before accusations start flying)

Perhaps others have insights here I am missing, but the more I think about the antibody tests the more I think they only have so much mileage in them.

Primarily, it seems there main use is as a research tool to see the extent the virus has spread in the past, and also to monitor whether antibodies are sustained or temporary (as the Roche tests are finding with NHS workers).

But in terms of their utility in suppressing further outbreaks, its pretty limited beyond informing public health approaches as it only reveals the previous spread of the disease and not current infection.

Additionally, once everyone has had a test in say, the UK, there's no real need to re-test on that scale: in countries like Italy they are simply to testing a representative sample and statistically modelling it to population scale.

I'm sure there will be a demand internationally for the tests, but I can't really see how demand will be on a population scale unless there is a well developed healthcare system - even then, once data from other studies becomes available (eg: UK mass-testing), would there be a need for population level screening or just representative samples?

While the order from Senegal is encouraging, I'm not convinced there's going to be a huge take up from many countries - given the expense of carrying out the studies - when the resources could perhaps be better deployed on additional testing for current infection.

I'd be keen to hear anyone's thoughts on this!

Warm Wishes

Many thanks for this Myles - I have found your other notes very helpful so thank you for those also!

In case anyone wasn't aware, NuVec is based on technology from the U of Queensland, who specialise in nano-therapeutics and silica particles.

So while this link has little to do with the NuVec platform, its encouraging another U of Q nanotechnology has been successfully commercialised!

"But the small manufacturer has managed to keep its factory floor open throughout the pandemic by adopting an unusually aggressive approach to screening for the virus: whether they have coronavirus symptoms or not, its 56 employees are asked to take a voluntary test every week.

“There are no exceptions, not even for our cleaning staff,” managing director Christian Trahan explains from his office at Holzhauer’s headquarters in Karben, a small town just outside of Frankfurt.

As western governments begin to ease lockdowns that have saved lives but crippled economies, more businesses will soon face the challenge of persuading employees to return to workplaces even as the risk of a second wave of infections remains real.

Peter Sewing, the co-head of Obermark, a Luxembourg-based investment group that bought Holzhauer in 2012, reckons that the engineering company’s model could ultimately be a “blueprint” for the wider German economy."

https://www.ft.com/content/4f7b1fc5-ebf3-4cc7-afaf-80f4cafcfcb9

"But the small manufacturer has managed to keep its factory floor open throughout the pandemic by adopting an unusually aggressive approach to screening for the virus: whether they have coronavirus symptoms or not, its 56 employees are asked to take a voluntary test every week.

“There are no exceptions, not even for our cleaning staff,” managing director Christian Trahan explains from his office at Holzhauer’s headquarters in Karben, a small town just outside of Frankfurt.

As western governments begin to ease lockdowns that have saved lives but crippled economies, more businesses will soon face the challenge of persuading employees to return to workplaces even as the risk of a second wave of infections remains real.

Peter Sewing, the co-head of Obermark, a Luxembourg-based investment group that bought Holzhauer in 2012, reckons that the engineering company’s model could ultimately be a “blueprint” for the wider German economy." 

https://www.ft.com/content/4f7b1fc5-ebf3-4cc7-afaf-80f4cafcfcb9

TBH could easily see Boris getting confused between the anti-body lateral flow tests and the anti-gen LTF and just saying 'pregnancy style test' off the cuff.

The Optigene antigen test in being trialled with the NHS so he's certainly well aware of that one.

Lots of Imperial scientists are on SAGE so also a likely contender.

I'm heavily in Avacta and so hope it is - but I'm (sadly) not overly convinced...