Rainbow Rare Earths Phalaborwa project shaping up to be one of the lowest cost producers globally. Watch the video here.

Less Ads, More Data, More Tools Register for FREE

Pin to quick picksBioquell Regulatory News (BQE)

  • There is currently no data for BQE

Watchlists are a member only feature

Login to your account

Alerts are a premium feature

Login to your account

Interim Management Statement

15 May 2014 07:00

RNS Number : 1587H
Bioquell PLC
15 May 2014
 



 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

15 May, 2014

Bioquell PLC

Interim Management Statement

Bioquell PLC ("Bioquell") (LSE symbol: BQE) - provider of specialist bio-contamination control technologies to the international Healthcare, Life Sciences & Defence markets; and specialist testing services via its TRaC division, today announces its Interim Management Statement for the period from 1 January, 2014 to 14 May, 2014.

Financial position and financial performance of the Company

Group revenues in the period ending April 2014 were ahead of the same period for last year.

The Group has a strong balance sheet with positive net cash balances at the end of April.

Outlook / market expectations

The Bio division has had a slow start to the year in relation to Life Sciences equipment sales, as described further below, which we anticipate will continue to be subdued until the end of the first half and will result in a pre-tax loss in this division for the first six months of approximately £(1.0) million (2013: profit of £1.1 million prior to reconfiguration costs). There are a number of opportunities for revenue generation in the second half, and thereafter, which should see the division's profitability improve. However, on balance, management expects the results for this division will be below current market expectations which will affect the overall Group results for the year.

TRaC continues to perform well and in line with expectations, and is pursuing a number of new opportunities in the UK and overseas. While last year TRaC's revenues were slightly first half weighted, we expect this year's revenues to be slightly second half weighted.

Life Sciences

The subdued activity levels in the Life Sciences market we reported experiencing earlier in the year have continued with our equipment sales so far being weaker than expected, particularly in China and the USA. Equipment margins have also been held back in part by a higher proportion of sales to OEM customers (who incorporate Bioquell's technology into their products). Our specialist service and consumables businesses have been trading satisfactorily.

We are seeing increasing demand for our novel range of QUBE modular aseptic workstations, including certain applications driven by specific regulatory requirements. However, substantial revenues have not yet started to flow from this new product. In addition, QUBE margins are improving from a low base line as we drive costs out of the complex processes used to manufacture the product. We have taken a number of steps this year to promote additional applications for the QUBE.

Whilst we have several leading indicators that suggest an upturn in capital equipment sales in the second half of the year, this has not yet been reflected in our order book.

Healthcare

Interest in our healthcare technologies has been helped by a number of high profile publications so far this year. The recent report by the World Health Organisation on Antimicrobial Resistance, the letter in February from Public Health England to NHS England hospitals relating to carbapenemase producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) and the outbreak of MERS-COV (a coronavirus with a significant mortality rate) in Saudi Arabia have all increased enquiry levels for our healthcare products and services.

Market interest in the US for automated room disinfection systems continues to grow due to the problems associated with antibiotic resistant bacteria and hospital acquired infection. We have a number of initiatives underway to convert this interest into revenues.

We are in the process of addressing a number of healthcare opportunities in the emerging markets where many hospitals are facing particular difficulties with drug resistance as well as the threat from MERS-COV. We are also adjusting the business model associated with our ICE-pod (standalone hospital room) product to fit in better with market demands in these territories.

Defence

Trading in our defence business has been satisfactory so far this year - however we are still awaiting receipt of a large contract from the Middle East which should have a significant positive effect on our second half results.

TRaC

TRaC - the Group's Testing, Regulatory and Compliance service business - is trading well and is beginning to expand its specialist service activities overseas.

 

- Ends -

Enquiries

 

Nigel Keen (Chairman) Bioquell PLC 01264 835 900

Nick Adams (Chief Executive)

Michael Roller (Finance Director)

 

************************

 

Notes to Editors

§ Bioquell is a UK-headquartered, international technology company with two divisions:

o Bio (www.bioquell.com) which sells specialist biological contamination control products and services into the Healthcare, Life Sciences and Defence sectors, with most of its revenues generated from overseas customers; and

o TRaC (www.tracglobal.com) which provides specialist Testing, Regulatory and Compliance services - including EMC (electromagnetic compatibility), environmental, safety, ATEX (explosive atmospheres) radio and telecoms testing - principally to UK corporates.

§ Bioquell's bio-contamination control technology is principally based around hydrogen peroxide vapour (HPV) - which is highly efficacious at eradicating micro-organisms such as bacteria and viruses at room temperature - and is subsequently broken down using specialist catalysts to water vapour and oxygen (hence an extremely 'green' technology) at the end of the bio-decontamination process.

§ For the last three years Bioquell has invested substantial sums in developing new products - comprising rental, service and consumables - which have been designed to increase the proportion of the Group's recurring revenues (cf. capital equipment sales).

§ Bioquell's bio-contamination control technology:

o is used by bio-pharmaceutical, biotechnology and research institutions to provide sterile equipment and/or sterile facilities;

o is used to eradicate "superbugs" from hospitals including Clostridium difficile and carbapenemase producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) - sometimes referred to as carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). Independent scientific research from a team at Johns Hopkins, one of America's top hospitals, has demonstrated that 'bioquelling' hospital equipment and facilities resulted in a 64% reduction in the rate of hospital acquired infection;

o is used to provide single rooms to hospitals (via its ICE-pod rental service) which currently only have open, multi-bed "Nightingale" ward structures

o has been incorporated in a wound-care product - BioxyQuell - which has received regulatory approval for use on chronic wounds in the European Union; and

§ Bioquell currently has overseas operations in the USA, France, Ireland, Singapore and China.

TRaC sells its specialist services to the product development departments of a broad range of companies, principally based in the UK, with a particular focus on organisations operating in the aerospace, defence and telecoms sectors. TRaC also has a small team of technical experts located in China.

 

 

This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
 
END
 
 
IMSAIMBTMBBBTRI
Date   Source Headline
23rd Feb 20128:22 amRNSHolding(s) in Company
2nd Dec 20117:00 amRNSRe Contract
18th Nov 20117:00 amRNSInterim Management Statement
3rd Oct 20112:13 pmRNSCapital Reorganisation
31st Aug 20117:00 amRNSHalf Yearly Report
29th Jun 20117:00 amRNSRe Contract
27th Jun 20117:00 amRNSRe Contract
27th Jun 20117:00 amRNSCapital Reorganisation
16th May 20112:34 pmRNSResult of AGM
16th May 20117:00 amRNSInterim Management Statement
19th Apr 201110:00 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
12th Apr 20118:31 amRNSAnnual Financial Report
23rd Mar 201110:15 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
15th Mar 20117:00 amRNSAnnual Financial Report
22nd Nov 20103:14 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
19th Nov 20107:00 amRNSInterim Management Statement
8th Sep 20107:00 amRNSRe Contract
2nd Sep 201010:40 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
1st Sep 20109:00 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
27th Aug 20107:00 amRNSDirectorate Change
27th Aug 20107:00 amRNSHalf Yearly Report
18th May 201011:08 amRNSResult of AGM
14th May 20109:16 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
10th May 20107:00 amRNSInterim Management Statement
15th Apr 20108:45 amRNSAnnual Financial Report
19th Mar 20104:43 pmRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
19th Mar 201011:02 amRNSGrant of Options to Directors - Correction
18th Mar 20104:29 pmRNSStatement re Grant of Options to Directors
16th Mar 20107:00 amRNSFinal Results
19th Nov 20097:00 amRNSInterim Management Statement
28th Oct 20093:41 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
27th Oct 20093:58 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
16th Oct 20097:00 amRNSRe Contract
18th Aug 20097:00 amRNSHalf Yearly Report
28th May 20095:15 pmRNSAGM
19th May 20097:00 amRNSInterim Management Statement
28th Apr 20098:58 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
27th Mar 20093:15 pmRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
24th Mar 20097:00 amRNSFinal Results
13th Nov 20087:30 amRNSInterim Management Statement
5th Sep 200810:02 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
27th Aug 20087:27 amRNSInterim Results
16th Jul 20089:38 amRNSHolding(s) in Company
1st Jul 20088:39 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
28th May 20084:41 pmRNSDirectors' share options
27th May 20084:49 pmRNSResult of EGM
27th May 20084:44 pmRNSResult of AGM
19th May 20087:00 amRNSInterim Management Statement
4th Apr 20081:07 pmRNSNotice of EGM
25th Mar 200811:24 amRNSDirectors' option exercise

Due to London Stock Exchange licensing terms, we stipulate that you must be a private investor. We apologise for the inconvenience.

To access our Live RNS you must confirm you are a private investor by using the button below.

Login to your account

Don't have an account? Click here to register.

Quickpicks are a member only feature

Login to your account

Don't have an account? Click here to register.