RE: Great update4 Jul 2024 10:10
Fusion Antibodies plc (AIM: FAB), specialists in pre-clinical antibody discovery, engineering and supply for both therapeutic drug and diagnostic applications, provides an update on trading, commercial and research progress.
Highlights
· Positive momentum through the first quarter of the current financial year ending 31 March 2025 ("Q1 FY2025"), including:
o first OptiPhageTM contract for a non-human antibody species received in April 2024;
o ongoing collaboration agreement with the National Cancer Institute ("NCI") for the use of OptiMAL®;
o further purchase orders received under a master services agreement ("MSA") with a leading diagnostics company;
o multiple therapeutics project running in parallel with a US based biotechnology client; and
o an increasingly positive sentiment amongst the industry and client base.
· Unaudited revenues for Q1 FY2025 of c. £522k (Q1 FY2024: £241k, FY2024: £1.14m)
· Consistent and strong sales pipeline, with an order book at 30 June 2024 of approximately £0.7m. The order book includes a number of multi-stage projects for its clients and, subject to these projects progressing in line with expectations, revenue is expected to be recognised for all projects in the current order book in the current financial year.
· The Company continues to carefully control its cash and, as set out at the time of the fundraise in February 2024, based on internal estimations the Company has a cash runway into the second quarter of calendar year 2025. The Company continues to seek to achieve cash neutrality during that timeframe.
Entering into FY2025, Fusion had built an improved order book and was starting to benefit from its improved commercial strategy of additionally targeting diagnostics, fundamental research and veterinary medicine markets. The Board is pleased to confirm that the marked increase in the Company's sales opportunity pipeline, as reported in its full year trading update on 30 April 2024 has been maintained.
The Company is continuing to progress a number of exciting developments, including but not limited to:
· securing its first OptiPhageTM contract whereby Fusion will design a phage display library using the diversity principles behind the OptiMAL® library.
· progressing the collaboration with the NCI for the use of OptiMAL® in the discovery of novel antibodies against targets selected by NCI post year end;
· progressing the previously announced major projects in line with the agreed project plans; specifically, the $650,000 follow-on project under a collaborative research and development agreement with a US based biotechnology company that Fusion started working with in 2021 and the further £200,000 project announced on 23 May 2024;
· progressing multiple further projects, covered by the respective purchase orders mentioned above, under the new MSA with a leading di