Member Info for LiveLongnProsper

The SARS-CoV-2 tests could be so good that someone has just gone and bought out that part of the business?
You never know, haha.
GLA

@bandyace, good spot. A bit odd? Though they feature today's RNS and the Mologic collaboration very clearly at the bottom. Wonder if still 'under construction' as this has changed today. Perhaps pending more news? Interesting.
GLA

There is a lot in this, just a few points ..
Our test has a name, the “AffiDxTM SARS-Cov-2 rapid antigen test”. The number of ‘branded’ tests we can sell will be determined by how many manufacturers we ‘sign up’ (such as BBI, ABDX, Mologic/GAD, and ODX).

We know that it “is not currently available for sale in the United States”. So we can speculate on the potential for a Cytiva branded test? Or maybe it’s just about getting FDA approval and exporting? Or maybe our 'friends' can help here ...

Mologic opened a subsidiary in Boston MA in 2018, not sure if they have manufacturing (own or contract)?
ABDX are hiring a ‘Contract Sales Manager’ in the USA (“Experience in a lateral flow, immunoassay sales environment” desirable).
https://www.abingdonhealth.com/careers/contract-sales-manager-usa/
Again, not sure if they have manufacturing?

Sir Al suggested that countries who were less able to pay full price may get access, and it looks like GAD are setup to do just this. But would this be a ‘branded’ test or a ‘generic’ version?
We are validating in Europe (Spain, apparently?). Might be good for access to the European market if we manufactured in Europe? In that case, who would be our manufacturing partner and what will the branding be?
We know Sir Al has mentioned manufacturing in Asia.

There is a lot of news to come on commercials.
GLA

Excellent news, much more to come.
Just exceeded the 90 day trade volume average inside 2 hours, much more to come.
Nice ‘plateau’ at ~184p, can see the ‘hills’ (or are they ‘mountains’?) in the near distance.
Keep up the good work team Avacta.
GLA

While we wait ...
Protein switches could be the future of rapid diagnostics tests? Wonder where we stand on this just now?
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acssensors.9b01574
Affimer-Enzyme-Inhibitor Switch Sensor for Rapid Wash-free Assays of Multimeric Proteins – Hope Adamson et al, 2019.
All about Affimers, includes 4 references to Viktor Stein, co-authors Michael J McPherson and Darren C Tomlinson are named inventors on granted patent US 9,932,575 owned by the University of Leeds and licensed to Avacta Life Sciences Ltd, and own some personal shares in Avacta Life Sciences.

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acssensors.0c01831
Engineering Protein Switches for Rapid Diagnostic Tests – Hope Adamson and Lars JC Jeuken, 2020.
Affimers only briefly mentioned, but very clear description of the concept and direct applicability to rapid diagnostic tests.

https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/protein-switches-and-covid-testing/
Protein Switches and COVID Testing, Feb 2021.
Just an overview, but clearly a lot of interest stimulated by the need for rapid SARS-CoV-2 tests.

There are a few more ‘threads’ I’m following up, will post if anything of interest.
GLA

Not sure about clumsy wording, but, with apologies for quite likely over analysing, I do find the ‘use of English’ somewhat interesting …
“… these manufacturing partnerships will deliver several millions of tests per month …”
and not, more simply, ‘… will deliver several million tests per month …’. Just a hint of both the arcane and archaic in the phrasing. Either intended or not, though most likely I’m just talking rubbish!
GLA

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000s7jf
Blair on BBC R4 Week in Westminster, from about 5:25 in.
(Yep, him again. Just to say not making any ‘political’ point or indication of any ‘allegiances’, however the guy does still have a lot of influence, and that’s what matters here).
He was saying “I still think there is a very, very strong case for using point-of-use rapid antigen tests …”.

Next 2 weeks …
We will have a Trading Update.
We will have a plan from Boris.
We might know if the AVA6000 CTA has been successful?
We might know more about our LFT’s clinical validation in Europe?
We might know more about Bruker's progress with BAMS.
We might know more about S&S for both BAMS and LFT?
We might know what BBI, ABDX, Mologic/GAD, and maybe even ODX are going to be manufacturing at scale and for whom?
Looking forward to the next 2 weeks.
GLA

“Updates: Gerresheimer, Avacta
Two other virus-related stocks we have tipped, this time more as punts, are Gerresheimer, which makes vaccine phials, and Avacta, which not only supplies “lateral flow” tests but has developed a novel cancer treatment.
If the virus’s ability to mutate means we will all need regular “booster” shots it can only be good for firms such as Gerresheimer. Meanwhile the need for rapid tests in the face of threats such as the South African variant strengthens the case for Avacta. Both are holds.
Questor says: hold”. I’m taking that as ‘hold for gold’. (Positive rays Moriarty).
GLA

Looks like a potential merger, though would likely be followed by a sale of (non-strategic) assets.
Quidel Mcap $9.8bn, P/E 27, 2019 Revenue $535m,
Qiagen Mcap $12.8bn, P/E 67, 2019 Revenue $1526m, source Morningstar.
Quidel products include QuickVue SARS-CoV-2 Antigen POC test (they do PCR as well) …
https://www.quidel.com/immunoassays/quickvue-sars-antigen-test
Qiagen “is developing the QIAreach SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Test, a scalable, digital assay for the in vitro detection of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein antigen.”
https://www.qiagen.com/gb/applications/infectious-disease/coronavirus/diagnostic-testing
(Note – N-protein)
Apparently Quidel looking for manufacturing capacity among other things.
I know these 2 large co.’s do a lot of other things, nevertheless, when our test finally gets through all ‘hoops’, we should hopefully expect a significant re-rate. Would be happy to be ‘defended’ by AZN (or GSK).
GLA

@Hurst10, thanks, now that is really very interesting ...
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-08/quidel-is-said-to-mull-deal-with-12-billion-testing-firm-qiagen
GLA

17:08 136.50 378,346 0.00 0.00
Not just the snow.
GLA

@Timster, thanks for the link to the ODX PR folks.
All a bit ‘creepy’ really. Are these guys really saying they knew about the FT article for ‘the past few days’, but didn’t bother to correct it until after publication?
Wonder if the FT tried to interview AVCT, ABDX or BBI and got nothing – as per NDA’s?
GLA

No probs.

Yes they have, in the last 4 RNS's ...
In footnotes - "the AffiDXTM SARS-CoV-2 Lateral Flow Rapid Antigen Test".
Unambiguous, it has a name, our trade mark.
GLA

Errrhh?
AVACTA GROUP PLC Company number 04748597
Next accounts made up to 31 December 2020 due by 30 June 2021
It's the 'Trading Update' we're waiting for buddy.
GLA

That's a pass with distinction!
GLA

(‘Double-entendre’ intended)
From the web site today …
https://avacta.com/diagnostics/
About Affimers …
“We develop highly specific, reproducible, and stable tools for use in point of care (POC) tests, ligand binding assays and bioprocessing and separations from complex matrices.”
Which of the 3 example uses of Affimers is yet to be (fully) announced?
(Hint, consider POINT Biopharma and Astrea Bioseparations for 2 of 3).
GLA

Remember govt (NPIF) own 18.9% of ABDX. They are going to have a big role going forward (as with AVCT).
Just saying.
GLA

@Infinis, yes I think the 'vertical integration' debate is an open one. Guess, my view is that probably not something for a small research based company to jump into early on, at least until decent revenues from more established products? Hopefully not too long!
GLA

Just a couple of thoughts on this.
Firstly the importance of Affimers to both Diagnostics and Therapeutics.
Affimers through the TMAC® platform enable the delivery of a pre|CISION™ pro-drug chemotoxin without the need for a cancer biomarker such as FAPa – so Affimers span both Diagnostics and Therapeutics. Also, through the AffyXell JV (Affimers to be ‘expressed’ via engineered stem cells).

Secondly, would Avacta really want to get directly involved in large-scale manufacturing, at least just yet?
Personally would expect us to contract out manufacturing where we want to ‘own’ the product – as seems to be the case (so far) with the LFT. And also continue (and significantly expand) licensing out of Affimer technology, as with Point, Astrea, Adeptrix / Bruker, and via (in this case) minority JV’s such as AffyXell.
Think someone already compared Affimers to ARM chips – licenced to Apple, Samsung, etc. Then when Avacta gets to a certain size you’re going to get the equivalent of nVidia wanting to buy you out (OK, not a perfect comparison as ARM already owned by Softbank – big UK govt. failure, despite insisting on Cambridge activity, so perhaps a lesson learned?).

Would also expect some new business to come from the extensive contacts and other co. board roles of some of our directors, perhaps particularly Eliot Forster, Mike Owen and Trevor Nicholls.
GLA