13 Oct 2015 07:01
Premaitha Health PLC
AGM Statement
Manchester, UK - 13 October 2015 - Premaitha Health PLC (AIM: NIPT, "Premaitha" or the "Company") will hold its AGM today at 3pm at the Dalton Room, The Innovation Centre, University of Manchester, 46-48 Grafton Street, Manchester, M13 9XX.
At the meeting David Evans, Chairman of Premaitha, will provide shareholders with the following update:
"Premaitha has achieved a significant amount in a relatively short time. We have listed on AIM, achieved recognition from European regulators for our IONA® test, the first and only CE-marked non-invasive prenatal screening test (NIPT), and signed a number of contracts, including one with the UK's National Health Service. We have also published excellent clinical results from respected prenatal experts including this week's announcement of the independent study published in the Journal of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
"Today, we have announced in a separate statement that the prestigious Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine is launching an in-house antenatal reflex DNA screening service for pregnant woman in the UK on the NHS using our IONA® test. The Wolfson Institute is a world-renowned antenatal screening and research centre which performs c50,000 tests per year and previously sent its samples to the US for analysis. This is a good example of how we can help existing screening laboratories to adapt their methods and incorporate the opportunities of the new NIPT technology.
"Our share placing in July has enabled us to accelerate the commercialisation of the IONA® test. For example, we have already grown our in-house capability with the imminent opening of a dedicated clinical laboratory in Manchester and we have expanded our international presence into Latin America and Southern Europe.
"As part of this continued commercialisation strategy, we have further strengthened our management team and Board with a number of positive changes. With effect from 1 November 2015 and subject to regulatory approvals, Chief Medical Officer Dr William Denman will join the plc Board. Dr Denman has been with Premaitha for over four years and brings a wealth of clinical expertise which is enabling the Company to work with key opinion leaders in the NIPT field and establish Premaitha at the forefront of this nascent sector.
"The remit of Peter Collins will be broadened to take on the role of Chief Business Officer. He has been on the Board since the AIM Admission in 2014 and this wider scope will enable Premaitha to align more effectively with our global platform providers and our increasing number of distribution partners. Peter's commercial team has also been enlarged with the recent appointment of Nicholas Claxton who becomes Chief Commercial Officer for Premaitha Ltd, our UK subsidiary. Nick has extensive growth experience within the diagnostic and scientific market sectors. He was Scientific Business Director of Olympus UK, integrating it into Beckman Coulter, and has also held roles as Director of the Forensic business for LGC, Head of Marketing for Roche and Business Director for Becton Dickinson. Nick has been operating as a consultant to Premaitha for several months.
"We look forward to the coming year, in which we will continue to prioritise the commercialisation of our test and product development. We intend to further develop our business through closer collaboration with key opinion leaders, our platform and distribution partners. We will also continue to defend the Company against the Illumina litigation with full vigour. We will not let it distract us from creating an exceptional genetic screening business delivering genuine clinical benefits to pregnant women across the world."
-Ends-
For more information, please contact:
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Premaitha Health PLCDr Stephen Little, Chief Executive OfficerJoanne Cross, Head of Marketing
| Tel: +44 (0) 161 667 1053Email: investors@premaitha.com |
Cairn Financial Advisers LLP (NOMAD)Liam Murray / Avi Robinson
| Tel: +44 (0) 20 7148 7900 |
Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited (Broker)Robert Naylor (Corporate Finance) Maisie Atkinson (Corporate Broking)
| Tel: +44 (0) 20 7886 2714 Tel: +44 (0) 20 7886 2905 |
Instinctif PartnersMelanie Toyne Sewell / Jayne Crook / Emma Barlow | Tel: +44 (0) 207 457 2020 premaitha@instinctif.com |
Notes to Editors
About Premaitha Health
Premaitha is an innovative molecular diagnostics company employing the latest advances in DNA analysis technology to develop tests for non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPT) and other applications. Premaitha's flagship product, the IONA® test is the first non-invasive in vitro diagnostic product for prenatal screening enabling clinical laboratories to offer CE-marked NIPT in-house for the first time.
The IONA® test estimates the risk of a fetus having Down's syndrome or other serious genetic diseases. The IONA® test has a higher detection rate and lower false positive rate than existing screening tests, giving pregnant women, their families and their doctors greater confidence in the result and reducing the need for unnecessary invasive follow-up tests and the associated anxiety and stress. The IONA® test is a complete diagnostic system that is simple and standardised, enabling Premaitha's clinical laboratory customers to perform the test in their own facilities. This supports Premaitha's strategy of accelerating the broad dissemination of NIPT tests to ensure that their benefits are available to pregnant women everywhere.
Premaitha is listed on the London Stock Exchange (AIM). Its R&D, manufacturing and commercial operation is located at Manchester Science Park, UK. For further information please visit www.premaitha.com or email iona@premaitha.com.