Morning All.......................18 Dec 2020 05:36
Turner Pope Research Note............................
https://mcusercontent.com/d9ebd7c1aa0f3dbc5fab42eca/files/b06a222d-09d8-48ee-b6e5-f7d3d9c03f77/Scancell_Holdings_plc_19_11_2020_FINAL_BGv3.pdf
Scancell Holdings plc
The transformative phase of capital raising that Scancell has undertaken to
date in 2020 now appears to have drawn to a close. What is likely to be its
final stage, the Open Offer that Scancell made available to Qualifying
Shareholders on 12 October 2020, on the basis of 1 new ordinary share for
every 27 held, was declared unconditional on 5 November 2020, raising a
further c.£3.0 million gross at an issue price of 13p each. This permitted
existing shareholders to participate on the same basis as funds managed by
Redmile Group LLC (‘Redmile’), the US based specialist healthcare and life
sciences investment firm, that agreed a direct subscription for both new
Scancell ordinary shares and new Convertible Loan Notes (‘new CLNs’),
raising total gross proceeds of c.£30m. This represents a strong endorsement
of both the Company’s technology platforms and R&D pipeline. Together with
an end-September 2020 cash balance of c.£15.1m plus the £2m UKRI grant,
along with elimination of c.£4.25m debt following Vulpes Life Sciences Fund
(‘Vulpes’) and Redmile conversion of existing CLN holdings into equity as
announced on 26 October 2020 and 2 November 2020 resp., this leaves Scancell
well-resourced to deliver on stated development goals while also passing key
milestones on its route toward a number of medium-term inflection points,
any of which could potentially multiply its current valuation.
Use of Funds
The pool of funds now raised will allow Scancell to extend the utility of its
ImmunoBody®
, Moditope® and AvidiMab™/TaG antibody products and platforms,
while also accelerating and broadening its development pipeline of new potentially
novel therapies. It will provide flexibility regarding development plans for its
existing pipeline to ensure both optimal development and commercialisation
strategies can be pursued, thereby limiting the potential impact of economic
pressures caused by COVID-19. More specifically, while being expected to rapidly
move its COVID-19 DNA vaccine development programme forward, Scancell is
ideally positioned to progress its lead product, SCIB1, which has already initiated its
Phase II clinical study in melanoma, aiming to enrol a total of 25 patients, while
also completing the preparation of GMP supplies required for regulatory
submission to initiate Modi-1’s planned UK Phase I/II clinical study in H1 2021.
Creating higher therapeutic value
Access to substantial new funding together with a gradual relaxation of lockdown
conditions, should ensure Scancell can reverse delays that have been imposed on
its technological developments, core oncology programmes and therapeutic
evaluations.