Cathal Friel of Poolbeg Pharma: Specie share purchase should increase liquidity & maximise shareholder value
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Cathal Friel, Chairman of Poolbeg Pharma #POLB explains how the proposal to purchase shares from distribution off specie shareholders should increase future liquidity and maximise shareholder value over the long-term.
Highlights
Poolbeg Pharma, a clinical stage infectious disease pharmaceutical company with a unique capital light clinical model, announces that a number of new investors have expressed interest in acquiring up to £1.6m of Poolbeg Pharma plc shares which are currently locked-up and held in trust by Croft Nominees Limited as a result of the distribution in specie from Open Orphan plc on 18 June 2021.
As part of these proposals, the New Investors have committed to purchase up to £1.6m of the distribution in specie shares on or around 26 April 2022 at a price of 5.9 pence per share, the closing market price on Friday 8 April 2022. There is strong demand from these New Investors in acquiring shares in the Company, with the largest individual investor being an experienced life science investor. The New Investors have shown great interest in the Poolbeg story, its significant progress since IPO in July 2021, and its capabilities in developing novel products utilising its unique cost-effective model in the fast-growing infectious disease market which is expected to be worth in excess of $250bn by 2025. This is a clear vote of confidence in the Company's prospects as it enters an extremely exciting phase of its development with its first human challenge clinical trial due to commence in June 2022 with multiple value inflection points expected in 2022 and beyond.
This process will allow the locked-up distribution in specie shareholders in Poolbeg the opportunity to sell part or all of their shareholding, should they wish to do so, prior to receiving the shares once the lock-up period ends on 20 April 2022. Poolbeg ended 2021 well capitalised with a strong cash balance of £20.9m so it is important to note that the Company is not raising any new funds as part of this process and, as such, there will be no dilution of existing shareholders.
About Poolbeg Pharma
Poolbeg Pharma is a clinical stage infectious disease pharmaceutical company, with a capital light clinical model which aims to develop multiple products faster and more cost effectively than the conventional biotech model. The Company, headquartered in London, is led by a team with a track record of creation and delivery of shareholder value and aspires to become a "one-stop shop" for Big Pharma seeking mid-stage products to license or acquire.
The Company is targeting the growing infectious disease market. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, infectious disease has become one of the fastest growing pharma markets and is expected to exceed $250bn by 2025.
With its initial assets from Open Orphan plc, an industry leading infectious disease and human challenge trials business, Poolbeg has access to knowledge, experience, and clinical data from over 20 years of human challenge trials. The Company is using these insights to acquire new assets as well as reposition clinical stage products, reducing spend and risk. Amongst its portfolio of exciting assets, Poolbeg has a small molecule immunomodulator for severe influenza (POLB 001); a first-in-class, intranasally administered RNA-based immunotherapy for respiratory virus infections (POLB 002); and a vaccine for Melioidosis (POLB 003). The Company is also developing an oral vaccine delivery platform and is progressing two artificial intelligence (AI) drug discovery programmes to accelerate the power of its human challenge model data and biobank.
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