ImmuPharma PLC
("ImmuPharma" or the "Company")
Accelerated Bookbuild for the Issue of Equity
ImmuPharma PLC (LSE:IMM), the specialist drug discovery and development company, is pleased to announce a proposed placing, raising a minimum of £3 million (before expenses), via the issue of new ordinary shares of 10p each ("Ordinary Shares") to new and existing investors (the "New Share Placing").
The New Share Placing will provide ImmuPharma with additional working capital and will further strengthen the Company's balance sheet as negotiations continue with potential partners for Lupuzor™, its lead programme currently in a pivotal Phase III trial. Additionally, further investment in ImmuPharma's earlier stage portfolio and in its P140 peptide platform is also planned.
The New Share Placing is being offered by way of an accelerated bookbuild ("Bookbuild"), which will be launched immediately following this announcement. It is proposed that the New Share Placing will be executed at a price of 52p per share (the "Placing Price"). Northland Capital Partners Limited will be acting as sole bookrunner in connection with the Bookbuild.
It is expected that the finalisation of the Bookbuild will commence shortly after the Bookbuild's launch is announced and a further announcement will be made to confirm its completion in due course.
This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) 596/2014 ("MAR"). In addition, market soundings (as defined in MAR) were taken in respect of the Placing with the result that certain persons became aware of inside information (as defined in MAR), as permitted by MAR. This inside information is set out in this Announcement. Therefore, those persons that received inside information in a market sounding are no longer in possession of such inside information relating to the Company and its securities.
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For further information please contact:
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ImmuPharma plc (www.immupharma.org)
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+ 44 (0) 20 7152 4080
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Tim McCarthy, Chairman
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Lisa Baderoon, Head of Investor Relations
Twitter: @immupharma
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+ 44 (0) 7721 413496
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Northland Capital Partners Limited (NOMAD & Broker)
Patrick Claridge, David Hignell, Michael Mackintosh, Corporate Finance
Rob Rees, Corporate Broking
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+44 (0)20 3861 6625
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Notes to Editors
ImmuPharma PLC
ImmuPharma is a pharmaceutical development company listed since 2006 on AIM of the London Stock Exchange (LSE:IMM), focusing on developing novel medicines with high sales potential in specialist markets with serious unmet need. ImmuPharma is led by a commercially focused Board and management team with extensive experience.
Lupuzor™
Lupuzor™ (also referred to as Forigerimod, or P140) is ImmuPharma's lead compound and a potential treatment for lupus (or Systemic Lupus Erythematosus), a chronic, potentially life-threatening auto-immune disease. Lupuzor™ has a novel mechanism of action aimed at modulating the body's immune system so that it does not attack healthy cells, and avoids causing adverse side effects. It has the potential to halt the progression of the disease in a substantial proportion of patients.
Lupuzor™ has been granted Fast Track status by the US FDA and approval under Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) for its ongoing Phase III trial.
The pivotal Phase III clinical study is entitled "A 52-Week, Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel-Group, Placebo-Controlled Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of a 200-mcg Dose of IPP-201101 Plus Standard of Care in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus". It is a pivotal study designed to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of IPP-201101 and as a last step prior to the filing of the drug for approval with the US Food & Drug Administration ("FDA") and the European Medicines Agency ("EMA"). For more information please visit: www.ClinicalTrials.gov/lupuzor
Commercial Opportunity
There are an estimated five million people globally suffering from Lupus, with approximately 1.5 million patients in the US, Europe and Japan (Source: Lupus Foundation of America). Current 'standard of care' treatments, including steroids and immunosuppressants, can potentially have either serious side effects for patients or limited effectiveness, with over 60% of patients not adequately treated. GSK's Benlysta is the first Lupus drug approved in over 50 years and paves the path to market for Lupuzor™. Based on conservative estimates, and taking into account that Benlysta is priced currently at approximately $30,000 per patient per year, Lupuzor™ would be entering a market with the potential for multi-billion dollar sales. For more information on Lupuzor™ please visit: www.lupuzor.com