http://oxfordpharmascience.com/


Oxford Pharmascience is a drug development company that re-develops approved drugs to make them better, safer and easier to take.

Oxford Pharmascience is using its proprietary oral drug delivery technologies to develop improved formulations of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and statins for global markets.

The Company's risk-diversified pipeline of prescription and OTC medicines is focused on cardiovascular disease and pain relief indications. Since the products incorporate previously approved drugs, this reduces risk and results in a simplified drug development regulatory pathway allowing less expensive development programs and faster access to market.

The Company has also commercialized calcium/vitamin D chews that taste better and dissolve faster than currently available regular formats. These products are now marketed in the UK, Middle East and Brazil.

Oxford Pharmascience is located in the UK and is led by a highly experienced management team that directs and manages the outsourcing of its development; pre-clinical and clinical programs; and manufacturing to a trusted network of partners and suppliers.

The Company commercializes its portfolio of product opportunities through out-licensing to leading pharmaceutical companies worldwide. Currently the Company has partnerships with Aché Laboratories and Bayer.

Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) was established by a team of entrepreneurs in 2008 and is a publicly listed company on London's Alternative Investment Market (AIM), with a strong blue chip investor base.

UPDATE: Oxford Pharmascience eyes huge opportunity in statins with UCL deal


http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/48053/update-oxford-pharmascience-eyes-huge-opportunity-in-statins-with-ucl-deal-48053.html


Oxford Pharma snaps up delivery know-how for heart disease drugs

http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/48037/oxford-pharma-snaps-up-delivery-know-how-for-heart-disease-drugs--48037.html

Took a position mid afternoon at 1.27p. Lets see how this one goes.

Oxford Pharmascience publishes its interim results for the six months to 30 June 2012



http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=4445829

Revenues leap at Oxford Pharmascience
By Michael Millar

Mon 17 Sep 2012

OXP - Oxford Pharmascience Group

Latest Prices
Name Price %
Oxford Pharmascience Group 1.40p +1.82%

Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology 9,741 +0.54%

LONDON (SHARECAST) - Oxford Pharmascience saw revenues jump in the first half after it signed a sales deal with one of Brazil's largest pharmaceutical companies.

Revenues came in at £341,000, up from £20,000 the year before, with sales to Brazil's Aché making up the lions share.

The pharmaceutical technology company cut its pre-tax loss to £399,000, from £501,000 in the first half of 2011, with loss per share coming in at 0.07p.

Chairman David Norwood said 2011 was a breakthrough year for the company, having changed its focus to the higher value pharmaceutical market.

"The commencement of sales to Aché, one of Brazil's largest pharmaceutical companies and the launch of its OXP zero taste masking technology left [the company] well placed going into this year," he said

Oxford Pharma points to progress in busy first half
17 September 2012 | 10:07am
StockMarketWire.com - Oxford Pharmascience reports that revenues from its OXPchew™ technology continue to grow with strong sales from Aché and earlier than expected commencement of revenues to the Far East.

Importantly the company signed its first licensing deal with a major global pharmaceutical company, Bayer. This demonstrates our ability to do commercial deals with the 'big boys' and bodes exceedingly well if this is repeated for the OXPzero™ and OXPtarget™ technologies.

Co-development work has begun with Hermes Pharma for a range of ibuprofen direct to mouth granules using OXPzero™. This will result in clinical studies later this year to demonstrate the bio-equivalence of our OXPzero™ ibuprofen salt, a major step towards securing the first licensed medicine using the technology.

Repeating the success of the OXPchew™ business with OXPzero™ by first commercialising a product and then extending this to deals with other highly reputable pharmaceutical companies in ibuprofen alone will take the company a long way forward.



At 10:07am: (LON:OXP) share price was +0.03p at 1.4p

Good recovery, up 6% with good buying

scale up of taste masked ibuprofen for trials
RNS
RNS Number : 4951N
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
01 October 2012



Oxford Pharmascience Group plc

("Oxford Pharmascience" or "the Company")

Oxford Pharmascience announces successful scale up of taste masked ibuprofen for clinical trials

Oxford Pharmascience, the specialty pharmaceutical company that uses advanced pharmaceutic technologies to reposition medicines, today announces it has completed successful first stage commercial scale up work for its OXPzero™ taste masked ibuprofen.

Over the last few months the Company has been working with a contract manufacturing partner to produce the taste masked ibuprofen in a batch that is both scalable and suitable for product registration.

The Company will now progress to undertake a clinical trial with their co-development partner Hermes Pharma to demonstrate the bio-equivalence of their taste masked ibuprofen, results of which are expected in the first quarter of 2013.

Nigel Theobald, Chief Executive, Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc, commented:

"This is a significant step forward in the commercialisation of our OXPzero™ technology. We now have a robust scalable production process and can make GMP grade material which is essential for use in human studies.

Having already demonstrated commercial success for our OXPchew™ technology, with sales growing in Brazil through Aché and partners like Bayer signed, this milestone shows we are making excellent progress towards the commercialisation of our OXPzero™ taste masking technology.

The global ibuprofen market alone is worth $2.7bn and dominated by tablet formulations due to the bitterness and burning sensation of pure ibuprofen. OXPzero allows major brands to formulate high dose non tablet products, without any burn. This milestone is another positive step forward in our confidence that OXPzero will become the leading taste masking technology for all nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs."

For further information:

Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc

Nigel Theobald, Chief Executive +44 1865 854874

Hybridan LLP (Broker)

Claire Noyce / Deepak Reddy +44 20 7947 4350

ZAI Corporate Finance (Nominated Adviser)

John Depasquale/ John Treacy +44 20 7060 2220

About Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc

Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc develops advanced yet practical pharmaceutical technologies to enable reformulation that adds value to off patent and soon to be off patent drugs. The Company does not manufacture or sell its own pharmaceutical products but instead seeks to license its technologies to a network of partners, mainly leading pharmaceutical companies with Rx (prescription) and OTC (Over the Counter) branded portfolios. These partners use our technologies to reposition their products helping them sustain market share and profitability by delivering improved health outcomes and/or clinical profiles via reformulated versions of the same API (active pharmaceutical ingredient).

Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc develops platform technologies that have application across multiple drug categories and can be leveraged across a broad range of reformulation problems. This business model allows us to provide solutions across the industry and fund the ongoing development of cutting edge technologies to better serve the needs of our partners. The partner companies who adopt our technology pay an up-front license fee followed by development milestone payments and then royalties on finished products sold using the technology. OXP invests the upfront licence fee to optimise product development and to ensure seamless technology transfer to the pharmaceutical partner

Late buying today, pushed the sp up 7%

Oxford Pharmascience raises £2mln, eyes more contracts
7:38 am by Philip WhiterowCommercial discussions are also ongoing in relation to additional OXPchew and OXPzero based products.

Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) is to raise £2 million through a share placing to fund further development of its soft chew and taste-masking platforms, and for new applications.

The firm has three core technology platforms: the soft chew technology, OXPchew; taste-masking platform OXPzero; and OXPtarget, a controlled-release technology.

This year it says it has made progress building commercial opportunities for its OXPchew technology and co-developing a novel ibuprofen product with Hermes Pharma, which it expects to continue to deliver a mixture of sales and royalties in connection with these products.

Today, it said commercial discussions are also ongoing in relation to additional OXPchew and OXPzero based products.

“Although neither the timing nor the scale of any commercial developments can be certain, the board reasonably expects near term progress to be made.

“Further announcements are likely to be made before the year end and one or more contracts possibly could materialise before completion of the placing; further announcements will be made as appropriate.”

The £2mln will be raised through a placing at 1.3p, mainly to institutions, with N+1 Singer the broker to the placing

Nigel Theobald, chief executive officer (CEO), said: "The company has made strong progress over the past eighteen months in developing and commercialising its innovative technology platforms.

The placing will put Oxford Pharmascience in a stronger position for continuing this effort, both in relation to its existing soft chew and taste-masking platforms and with new applications such as its colonic delivery statin products, which the directors believe will build material shareholder value by developing sustainable income streams over the longer term."

OXPchew Feasibility and Option Agreement
RNS
RNS Number : 0340S
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
27 November 2012

Oxford Pharmascience Group plc

("Oxford Pharmascience")



Oxford Pharmascience announces OXPchew Feasibility and Option agreement with Major Healthcare Company

Oxford Pharmascience, the specialty pharmaceutical company that uses advanced pharmaceutical technologies to reformulate medicines, today announces it has signed a feasibility and option agreement with a major healthcare company ("The Company") to develop a dietary supplement product using OXP's chew technology for The Company.

Under the terms of the agreement, The Company has engaged Oxford Pharmascience to develop prototype products using its OXPchew technology and received an option to negotiate an exclusive licensing agreement to sell those products under its main multivitamin brand.

Nigel Theobald, Chief Executive, Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc, commented:

"This deal represents further progress in the development of our OXPchew business, which is now providing strong and growing revenue. We are making great progress in the £1bn global calcium market and this agreement provides the potential opportunity for us to enter the even larger £4bn+ multivitamin market, with a leading global Multivitamin brand.

We continue to show that our technologies once commercialised are capable of attracting some of the best healthcare companies worldwide as partners".

up 10%

OXPZero Feasibility and Option Agreement
RNS
RNS Number : 5004S
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
03 December 2012

Oxford Pharmascience Group plc ("Oxford Pharmascience")

OXPzeroTM Feasibility and Option agreement with Major Healthcare Company





Oxford Pharmascience, the specialty pharmaceutical company that uses advanced pharmaceutic technologies to reformulate medicines, today announces it has signed a feasibility and option agreement with a major healthcare company ("The Company"), to develop a range of undisclosed 'on the go' taste masked products.



Under the terms of the agreement, The Company has engaged Oxford Pharmascience to develop prototypes using its OXPzeroTM technology for a range of non tablet products that can be taken 'on the go' for inclusion in market research to determine the best products. Upon successful completion of the feasibility program, The Company will have an option for an exclusive worldwide license to sell the products under one of its main brands.





Nigel Theobald, Chief Executive, Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc, commented:



"This deal represents another major milestone in the commercialisation of our OXPzero technology."



Working with a leading global brand shows both credibility and potential. This is a very exciting deal for the future of our taste masking technology ".

For further information:

Oxford Pharmascience signs deal with ‘major healthcare company’ for taste-masking products
8:46 am by Jamie NimmoOXPzero allows acidic and anionic drugs to be administered orally without bad taste or irritation in non-tablet form and without affecting the drug's release in the body







Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) has signed a feasibility and option agreement with a “major healthcare company” to develop a range of ‘on the go’ taste-masking products.

The pharmaceutical technology firm will develop prototypes using Oxford’s OXPzero platform to determine the best non-tablet products.

The company did not reveal the name of the partner firm but referred to it as a “major healthcare company”.

OXPzero allows acidic and anionic drugs to be administered orally without bad taste or irritation in non-tablet form. At the same time, however, it does not affect the drug’s release in the body.

“This deal represents another major milestone in the commercialisation of our OXPzero technology,” said Nigel Theobald, Oxford’s chief executive.

“Working with a leading global brand shows both credibility and potential. This is a very exciting deal for the future of our taste masking technology.”

Once the feasibility programme has been successfully completed, the healthcare company will have an option for an exclusive worldwide licence to sell the products under one of its main brands, Oxford said.

The news comes just a week after Oxford signed a similar deal with a “leading multivitamin brand” to develop a dietary supplement using the company's OXPchew technology.

Shares rose 0.15p or 8.8% to 1.85p.

Result of Meeting - Approval of Placing
RNS
RNS Number : 3489T
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
12 December 2012

Oxford Pharmascience Group plc ("Oxford Pharmascience" or the "Company")

Result of General Meeting - Approval of Placing

Oxford Pharmascience, the specialty pharmaceutical company that uses advanced pharmaceutic technologies to reformulate medicines, announces that at its General Meeting held this morning at 10 a.m., the resolution was duly passed.

Accordingly, the conditional placing announced on 26 November, 2012 is now unconditional in all respects save for admission of the 153,846,154 new ordinary shares of 0.1 pence each. Admission is expected to take place at 8 a.m. on Thursday 13 December, 2012.

Following Admission, the Company will have 730,869,952 Ordinary Shares in issue. Since the Company currently holds no shares in treasury, the total number of voting rights in the Company is therefore 730,869,952 and this figure may therefore be used by Shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change in their interest in, the share capital of the Company under the FSA's Disclosure and Transparency Rules.

Nigel Theobald, CEO, commented:

"The Company looks forward to applying the proceeds from the placing to commercialising further its existing soft chew and taste-masking platforms, and to developing new applications including the colonic delivery statin products.

Oxford Pharmascience recently confirmed a feasibility and option agreement with a major healthcare company for a multivitamin supplement using OXPchew technology, and a similar type of agreement with another major to develop a range of 'on the go' non-tablet, taste masked products using OXPzero. The Company can therefore look forward to ongoing positive newsflow as it builds further shareholder value from its reformulation platform and know-how."

N+1 Singer sees Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) as an appealing investment case thanks to its diversified technology platforms, strong IP protection and generic drugs dossier ownership.

The broker, which has a target price of 13.41p, believes Oxford is well placed for growth with significant opportunities in the pipeline.

investors who participated in the company’s £2mln fund-raising in November at 1.3p a share are sitting on a pretty profit, with the shares currently trading at around 2.2p


Top 10 Emerging Technology Company in 2012
RNS
RNS Number : 0467U
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
20 December 2012

Oxford Pharmascience Group plc ("Oxford Pharmascience" or the "Company")

Named as Top Emerging Technology Company in 2012

Oxford Pharmascience, the specialty pharmaceutical company that uses advanced pharmaceutic technologies to reformulate medicines, has been featured in Lux Research's "Top Emerging Technology Companies in 2012".

Lux Research profiled 1,380 companies across 15 different emerging technology domains in 2012 and to conclude the year, selected the 10 most compelling companies they had profiled in 2012 across all its coverage areas, with Oxford Pharmascience making the top 10.



Nigel Theobald, CEO, commented:

"It is fantastic to be recognised in this way by such a respected research company as Lux.

We have invested in some exciting technologies for reformulating existing medicines and wholeheartedly agree that through our partnerships with major pharma companies we will indeed have some very compelling products to bring to market "

Moving up well

up 10.5%, Im a 100% upat 2.54p, in at 1.27p

Well done DreamCatcher!

Thanks Toya, OCG going well today as well. Did you grab a few ?

Bought in at 1.27, well up over 100% now, sold half on a free run now.

Time: (hh:mm)
Please Note - Streaming News is only available to subscribers to the Active Level and above



Initial formulation development complete
RNS
RNS Number : 4192W
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
28 January 2013



Oxford Pharmascience Group plc

("Oxford Pharmascience" or "the Company")

Oxford Pharmascience completes initial formulation development for leading statins



Oxford Pharmascience, the specialty pharmaceutical company that uses advanced pharmaceutic technologies to make medicines better, safer and easier to take, today announces successful completion of formulation development for its Safestat™ formulations of Atorvastatin and Simvastatin, leading generic statin drugs.

The Company has already announced its Safestat™ program which aims to re-formulate the widely used molecules of atorvastatin and simvastatin into doses up to four times lower than the original dose but with the same lipid lowering efficacy as the original higher dose. Global revenue from statins in 2009 was over $27bn despite issues caused by side effects of statins leading to lack of compliance in patients taking these medicines. Safestat™ aims to overcome these issues and increase patient compliance for statins.

The Company has now developed and optimised formulations of both atorvastatin and simvastatin and proven in-vitro release under simulated human conditions.

Marcelo Bravo, Chief Technology Officer of Oxford Pharmascience commented,

"Completion of formulation development is a first important milestone in the Safestat™ programme and we are now ready to proceed to manufacture of GMP products for use in proof of concept clinical trials during 2013."



For further information:

Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc

Nigel Theobald, Chief Executive +44 1865 854874

N+1 Singer

Shaun Dobson/Jenny Wyllie +44 20 7496 3000

About Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc

Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc develops advanced yet practical pharmaceutical technologies to enable reformulation that adds value to off patent and soon to be off patent drugs. The Company does not manufacture or sell its own pharmaceutical products but instead seeks to license its technologies to a network of partners, mainly leading pharmaceutical companies with Rx (prescription) and OTC (Over the Counter) branded portfolios. These partners use our technologies to reposition their products helping them sustain market share and profitability by delivering improved health outcomes and/or clinical profiles via reformulated versions of the same API (active pharmaceutical ingredient).

Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc develops platform technologies that have application across multiple drug categories and can be leveraged across a broad range of reformulation problems. This business model allows us to provide solutions across the industry and fund the ongoing development of cutting edge technologies to better serve the needs of our partners. The partner companies who adopt our technology pay an up-front license fee followed by development milestone payments and then royalties on finished products sold using the technology. OXP invests the upfront licence fee to optimise product development and to ensure seamless technology transfer to the pharmaceutical partner.

House broker N+1 Singer has a positive view on Oxford Pharmascience’s (LON:OXP) pipeline of opportunities, and this morning’s news indicates it is moving ahead on plans to capitalise on those opportunities.

Shares in Oxford Pharmascience shot up 25% today after it successfully completed the formulation development for its Safestat formulations of Atorvastatin and Simvastatin, the leading generic statin drugs.

“Oxford Pharmascience continues to make progress in expanding into the larger generic drugs market, building on its niche position in the over the counter market, and this morning’s news validates this,” the broker said.

“The group was featured in Lux Research’s ‘Top Emerging Technology Companies in 2012’ based on its ability to manipulate properties to improve oral delivery of medicine,” the broker added.

Closed up 26%

Oxford Pharmascience in good heart after passing statin milestone
10:36 am by John Harrington “We’re looking to get into production in 2015," said CEO Nigel Theobald.

If you are one of the many people with high cholesterol who is unable to take medication to lower it because of unpleasant side effects, yesterday’s news from Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) should get the pulse racing.

The group, which specialises in bringing out improved versions of off-patent and soon to be off-patent drugs, has completed the initial formulation development for its versions of generic cholesterol-lowering drugs, Atorvastatin and Simvastatin.

These two leading generic statins are widely prescribed by doctors to patients who have high cholesterol and for whom cholesterol reduction to a desirable level through a change of diet alone is insufficient.

One of the major problems with the statins, though, is that many users suffer unpleasant side effects such as inflammation and muscle damage.

A lower dosage would result in fewer side effects, but also, under normal circumstances, be less effective in lowering the patient’s cholesterol level.

However, Oxford Pharmascience’s Safestat development programme is working on a reformulation of atorvastatin and simvastatin to allow them to be accurately delivered to the colon where they are more effectively absorbed into the liver.

If you want to get “sciency” about it, the new formulation bypasses the gastro-intestinal tract, and this leads to higher levels of the drug reaching the liver, which is where all the cholesterol-inhibiting action goes on.

It’s this by-pass trick which means the same effect can be achieved at around a quarter of the dose, or at least it can under certain laboratory conditions.

As the company announcement put it, Oxford Pharmascience has “proven in-vitro release of its formulations under simulated human conditions.”

The statins market is a huge one, valued at more than US$29bn in 2009, but it could be a lot larger were it not for those pesky side effects.

Nigel Theobald, chief executive officer of Oxford Pharmascience, helpfully gave Proactive Investors an insight into how big the demand could be for its statin products.

“We usually quote figures from www.statinusage.com. Their survey reveals that nearly three-quarters of new users stop taking their statins by the end of the first year of use. Of those, 62% cite side effects as the reason for doing so,” Theobald said.

Oxford Pharmascience’s versions of statins would initially be ideal for “second line intervention” for cholesterol reduction, Theobald explained.

This is when the initial prescription of statins has not worked out, due to the aforementioned side effects.

Monday’s announcement was the first important milestone on the march to market – a march which might not be as long as you would expect, as Theobald explained.

“We’re looking to get into production in 2015. Now, two years might seem like a long time ahead to some, but in the drug development world it is short.

“By working with an existing drug with a proven safety record, we can get it to market a lot quicker and a lot cheaper.”

“We are very happy with the formulations in the lab. The next stage is to move on to manufacture the products to allow us to undertake proof of concept clinical trials this year.”

Theobald stressed that the manufacturing, under good manufacturing practice (GMP) conditions, is just for in-house testing purposes, as the company works to determine what levels of dosage are required to deliver required amounts of the statin to the liver.

Nevertheless, the 26% rise in the share price on Monday to 3.375p indicates that the first hurdle has been successfully negotiated; the shares are up another couple of per cent today.

Further down the road, the company will be looking at the possibility of bringing in a partner to help navigate the path to market.

Going great on this poor market day.

A three bagger at 3.81 :-))

Well done with this one dreamcatcher. I've just bought a few as I think the future is looking good.

up 11%

Thanks d4

http://www.barchart.com/opinions/stocks/OXP.LS&view=detailed

Doesn't get more positive than that - short term/medium term/long term -100% "buy".

Post 17 From Dec -

N+1 Singer sees Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) as an appealing investment case thanks to its diversified technology platforms, strong IP protection and generic drugs dossier ownership.

The broker, which has a target price of 13.41p -

As of Feb 23, 2013, the investment analyst covering Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc advises that the company will outperform the market.


http://markets.ft.com/research/Markets/Tearsheets/Forecasts?s=OXP:LSE

Placing and Notice of General Meeting
RNS
RNS Number : 7271Y
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
27 February 2013



Oxford Pharmascience Group plc

("Oxford Pharmascience" or the "Company")



Placing and Notice of General Meeting



Oxford Pharmascience, the specialty pharmaceutical company that uses advanced pharmaceutic technologies to reposition medicines, announces that it has conditionally raised £5 million (before expenses) through the placing of 166,666,667 New Ordinary Shares at a placing price of 3p per Ordinary Share with discretionary funds managed by Invesco Asset Management Limited. N+1 Singer acted as broker to the Placing.

The placing of these 166,666,667 New Ordinary Shares (the "Placing") is conditional on the Company obtaining approval from Shareholders to their allotment at the General Meeting. The net proceeds of the Placing will be used by the Group to further accelerate the development of the Group's business as described in more detail below.

The circular relating to the Placing (the "Circular") will be posted to shareholders shortly. The Circular contains a notice convening a general meeting of the Company to approve certain matters relating to the Placing. The general meeting of the Company will be held at the offices of Fasken Martineau LLP, Third Floor, 17 Hanover Square, London W1S 1HU at 10.00 am on 19 March 2013.

The Circular will soon be available to view on the Company's website (www.oxfordpharmascience.com). Copies of the Circular will also be available from the registered offices of Oxford Pharmascience at Third Floor, 17 Hanover Square, London, W1S 1HU.

Nigel Theobald, CEO, commented:

"The Company has made strong progress over the past two years in developing and commercialising its innovative technology platforms and recently raised £2 million to strengthen its position for continuing this effort.

We are delighted to have Invesco on board as a major shareholder. This new placement will raise additional funds to allow us to accelerate our work on commercialising our technology platforms and to strengthen our IP position by developing our own dossiers for a range of NSAIDs which we will seek to license to major pharmaceutical companies"

Defined terms are appended to this announcement and have the same meaning as the Circular. The letter from the Chairman to be contained in the Circular is repeated below without material adjustment

Oxford Pharmascience gets heavyweight backing to speed up growth plans
7:55 am by Philip WhiterowOxford specialises in taste masking technologies that enable drugs to be taken more easily and with fewer side effects.

Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) has brought on board a new major new shareholder though a fund raise to accelerate its growth plans.

Invesco Asset Management and its funds have taken up 166.7 mln new shares at 3p that will raise £5mln for the drug delivery group.

Oxford specialises in taste masking technologies that enable drugs to taken more easily and with fewer side effects.

Nigel Theobald, chief executive, said: “We are delighted to have Invesco on board as a major shareholder.

“This new placement will raise additional funds to allow us to accelerate our work on commercialising our technology platforms and to strengthen our IP position by developing our own dossiers for a range of NSAIDs [non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs] which we will seek to license to major pharmaceutical companies."

In particular, Oxford said it wants to repeat the success it has enjoyed with its drug chew business, OXPchew, with taste masking technology platform OXPzero by first commercialising a product and then extending this to deals with other highly reputable pharmaceutical companies in the ibuprofen market.

Oxford also recently took up an option on from The School of Pharmacy, University College London to develop and commercialise a range of formulations of Simvastatin and Atorvastatin with reduced side effects.

The OXPtarget technology licensed from UCL will potentially allow the formulation of lower dose statins, with the equivalent lipid reduction effect of the current higher dose statin.

"The group's challenge is now to convert the OXPzero and OXPtarget technologies into real, exciting products that industry wants and to repeat the commercial success of OXPchew in the more attractive and higher value areas of NSAIDs and statins, Oxford said.

Shares have risen strongly since the start of the year. In November, Oxford raised £2mln through a placing at 1.3p.

With shares in Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) steadily rising after a welter of good news from the drugs developer, heavyweight fund manager Invesco Asset Management decided it was time to get on board in a big way.

Invesco lobbed out £5mln to buy 166.7mln Oxford Pharma shares at 3p each, thereby joining a list of City institutions backing the company.

“This new placement will raise additional funds to allow us to accelerate our work on commercialising our technology platforms and to strengthen our IP [intellectual property] position by developing our own dossiers for a range of NSAIDs [non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs] which we will seek to license to major pharmaceutical companies," said Nigel Theobald, chief executive of Oxford Pharma.

Final Results

PERIOD HIGHLIGHTS

· Strong sales growth with Aché Laboratorios in Brazil

· Signing of first license with major pharmaceutical company, Bayer

· Signing of Heads of Terms with Hermes Pharma for OXP zero™ Ibuprofen direct to mouth granules

· Commencement of Safestat™ program for safer versions of Atorvastatin and Simvastatin

· Successful scale up of OXPzero™ ibuprofen

· £2m fund raising in November 2012

· Feasibility and option agreement signed with major pharmaceutical company for OXPzero™

· Successful in-vitro development of re-formulated Atorvastatin and Simvastatin




http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=4558088

Oxford Pharmascience enjoys bounce from Brazil
11:00 am by John Harrington N+1 Singer has maintained its positive stance as it believes the group is positioning itself to capitalise on its pipeline of opportunities.


Eye-catching top line growth fed through to a sharp reduction in losses in 2012 at drugs developer Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP).

Results for the year were ahead of expectations, with revenue up 65% to £466,000 from £282,000 the year before, thanks in large part to strong sales in Brazil from one of the group’s OXPchew technology partners, Aché Laboratórios, and the generation of licensing and development income.

The loss before tax narrowed to £818,000 from £936,000 a year earlier. Loss per share contracted to 0.13p from a loss of 0.19p in 2011.

Market expectations were for revenue of £400,000, a loss before tax of £1mln and a loss per share of 0.20p.

Thanks to a tax rebate, Oxford Pharmascience’s post-tax loss was £783,000, versus a loss of £926,000 the year before.

The loss on operations reflects the company's investment during 2012 in developing and strengthening its platform technologies OXPzero and OXPtarget; the former is Oxford Pharma’s taste-masking technology which sets out to make redundant the old adage about the best medicine always tastes horrible, while OXPtarget is a drug delivery technology that aims to provide effective cholesterol-lowering medicine at lower dosage levels.

"We are continuing to show strong sales growth for our technology platform already in the market (OXPchew) and have strengthened our other technology platforms (OXPzero and OXPtarget) putting them in a strong position to secure attractive licensing deals,” said chief executive Nigel Theobald.

“We are very excited about the prospects for our platform technologies and are looking to continue our recent growth in the coming years," he added.

Shares in Oxford Pharmascience rose 0.5p to 3.35p in the first half hour of trading following the results.

The shares have been on a fantastic run over the last year, rising more than 150%, paving the way for a successful fund raising in late February, which saw heavyweight investor Invesco Asset Management pump £5mln into the group.

Those funds will enable the group to speed up its growth plans; essentially it will give the company the wherewithal to run test programmes in parallel rather than in series, Theobald explained to Proactive Investors last month.

“The group's challenge is now to convert the OXPzero and OXPtarget technologies into real, exciting products that industry wants and to repeat the commercial success of OXPchew in the more attractive and higher value areas of NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) and Statins,” said company chairman David Norwood.

House broker N+1 Singer has been bashing away at the calculator since the figures came out and has made some modest upward adjustments to its earnings forecasts for 2013 and 2014.

“Following the £5mln raise to progress the development of the group’s technology platforms, the statin offering in particular, we have increased the royalty rate we initially assigned to OXP target to 10% (from 3%) as we believe the group has the capability of progressing the development further on its own, and as a result, signing a more attractive commercial agreement. This has resulted in an intrinsic value of 6.8p per share,” N+1 Singer said.

The broker has maintained its positive stance as it believes the group is positioning itself to capitalise on its pipeline of opportunities.

“The change in focus to the higher value pharmaceutical market in 2011 is proving to have been a pivotal decision and one, in our view, that has the potential to reap significant benefits,” the broker said

Seems to be stirring into life again today, news in the pipeline?

Another 5% today doodlebug

Good news just out dreamcatcher;

Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
08 May 2013
Oxford Pharmascience Group plc
("Oxford Pharmascience" or "the Company")
Oxford Pharmascience announces successful study indicating reduced gastric irritation for OXPzero(TM) ibuprofen and initiates Safer NSAIDs programme
Oxford Pharmascience, the specialty pharmaceutical company that uses advanced pharmaceutic technologies to make medicines better, safer and easier to take, today announces that it has established animal proof of concept and is starting a programme to develop safer NSAIDs applying its proprietary OXPzero(TM) technology.
There is a strong pharmacological rationale for reduced gastric irritation for NSAIDs delivered via the OXPzero(TM) technology and the company has demonstrated via a pharmacological study in mice that its OXPZero Ibuprofen material significantly reduces the irritation and ulcerating damage of ibuprofen. This is an exciting development for the company's technology as this shows that OXPzero(TM) has a much wider application in the field of NSAIDs to produce safer NSAID drugs.
NSAIDs are one of the most widely used classes of drugs, with more than 30 million users worldwide consuming NSAIDs each day and annual sales of $12 billion. In spite of this commercial success, chronic use of NSAIDs causes well documented gastrointestinal (GI) side effects. These side effects include ulcers and bleeding and lead to significant morbidity and mortality in many patients.
Nigel Theobald, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Pharmascience commented,
"We will now use this breakthrough in our research to begin a programme to develop a range of safer NSAIDs with much lower gastric irritation. OXPzero has already been developed for ibuprofen and will now be incorporated into high dose tablet formats of 400mg and above.
New versions of other popular NSAIDs such as diclofenac, naproxen and aspirin will also be developed.
By re-formulating existing NSAIDs which are bio-equivalent we avoid the need for expensive and lengthy new drug development to combat the gastric problem. This is at the core of all we do and further demonstration that by re-developing existing drugs to make them safer or easier to take, we can access the high value returns associated with new drugs but for a fraction of the cost and with a much quicker timescale."

Oxford Pharmascience surges on ibuprofen test results
By John Harrington May 08 2013, 11:42am Oxford's technology could allow for higher dosages of ibuprofen without the stomach irritation that often accompanies chronic consumption.Oxford's technology could allow for higher dosages of ibuprofen without the stomach irritation that often accompanies chronic consumption.

Tests on laboratory mice have given a big boost to Oxford Pharmacience’s (LON:OXP) OXPzero technology.

As anyone who has read the small print on the back of a packet of Ibuprofen will know, one of the major drawbacks to taking the medicine, and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), is the possibility of gastric irritation (GI).

A recent pharmacological study in mice has demonstrated that OXPZero Ibuprofen material reduces the irritation and ulcerating damage of ibuprofen.

The tests indicate that Oxford’s OXPzero technology may have a bigger future in the lucrative NSAIDs market worldwide than previously thought.

NSAIDs are one of the most widely used classes of drugs, with more than 30 million users worldwide consuming NSAIDs each day and annual sales of US$12 billion, but the market could be bigger still if a company can crack the problem of GI side effects. These side effects include ulcers and bleeding and lead to significant morbidity and mortality in many patients.

Nigel Theobald, chief executive officer of Oxford Pharmascience commented: "We will now use this breakthrough in our research to begin a programme to develop a range of safer NSAIDs with much lower gastric irritation. OXPzero has already been developed for ibuprofen and will now be incorporated into high dose tablet formats of 400mg and above.”

New versions of other popular NSAIDs such as diclofenac, naproxen and aspirin will also be developed.

One of the advantages of Oxford Pharma’s focus on out of patent or nearly out of patent drugs is that the bulk of the drug development and regulatory hoop-jumping has been done, which means Oxford’s development programmes are comparatively inexpensive and swift. As such, a full range of OXPzero safer NSAIDs could be on the market as early as 2016.

Shares in Oxford Pharmascience shot up 6.2% to 4.01p on the news.

Oxford Pharmascience to develop range of safer anti-inflammatory drugs
By John Harrington May 08 2013, 3:41pm NSAIDs are one of the most widely used classes of drugs, with more than 30 million users worldwide consuming NSAIDs each dayNSAIDs are one of the most widely used classes of drugs, with more than 30 million users worldwide consuming NSAIDs each day

Wednesday’s announcement of a successful study indicating OXPzero ibuprofen could reduce stomach irritation side-effects is a step forward in an archetypal Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) low-risk/high-reward programme.

While the study was only conducted on mice, the breakthrough could be significant. The genetic and biological characteristics of mice are close to those of humans, which is one of the reasons they are so widely used in medical research.

The pharmacological study showed that Oxford’s OXPzero Ibuprofen material reduces the irritation and ulcerating damage of ibuprofen.

Ibuprofen, along with the likes of aspirin and paracetamol, is one of the main “go-to” pain killers available over the counter today. It has long been proved to be effective in easing pain and swelling, and is a member of a group of medicines called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs for short.

According to the NHS, ibuprofen can cause a number of side effects, including: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, indigestion and abdominal pain.

Less common side effects include: headache, inflammation of the stomach (gastritis), duodenal or gastric ulcers.

The results from the tests on mice, if repeated in humans, could see the irritation and ulcerating damage of ibuprofen significantly reduced.

For Oxford Pharmascience this is potentially big news.

“It could increase the number of people able to take ibuprofen, and it could enable existing users to increase the frequency of the dosage,” Oxford’s chief executive officer Nigel Theobald told Proactive Investors.

That could increase the size of the ibuprofen market, estimated to be worth US$12bn in annual sales globally, but more importantly, it could give the UK company a shot at a significant slice of this enormous market.

After all, given a choice between an ibuprofen tablet that is going to upset your tummy and possibly even cause ulcers and internal bleeding, and a product that minimises the prospect of unpleasant side effects, which are you going to choose?

OXPzero has already been used to develop ibuprofen products, including chewable tablets and suspensions, without any irritation or burn in the throat. With products created using Oxford’s technology, Mary Poppins would not need the spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down.

The latest breakthrough is something different, though.

“This extends the OXPzero proposition beyond taste masking into the area of gastrointestinal side effects,” Theobald stressed.

Theobald said the company would now press ahead with a programme to develop a range of safer NSAIDs that are less likely to cause gastric irritation.

Following a successful fund raising in February, Oxford has the firepower to instigate this programme without having to divert resources from its other programmes, such as the highly promising cholesterol-lowering statin development.

“We’ll be able to develop in parallel, rather than in series, “ Theobald explained.

“It’s a classic example of what we do. It’s what we call re-engineering of everyday drugs that have issues. There’s nothing wrong with ibuprofen, but it has some issues, such as gastrointestinal irritation, so we want to address those.”

By focusing on drugs that have already passed all the regulatory hurdles, Oxford saves itself an enormous amount of time, energy and money. Instead of say, an uncertain journey to market that could take several years, as is the case with a new drug discovery, re-engineering an existing drug offers a safer, shorter journey to market.

“By re-developing existing drugs to make them safer or easier to take, we can access the high value returns associated with new drugs but for a fraction of the cost and with a much quicker timescale," Theobald said.

If all goes well, Oxford should have a full range of safer NSAIDs available to the market by 2016, thereby opening up the huge NSAIDs market to its reformulation technology. By full range, the company means the likes of diclofenac, naproxen and our old friend aspirin.

By any measure, that's news that is easy to stomach.

Oxford Pharmascience, up 3.97%, was wanted after it announced the results of a study on mice which showed that its OXPzero Ibuprofen material reduces the irritation and ulcerating damage of ibuprofen.

If the results are repeated in humans, then that will be great news for pain sufferers who cannot abide the side effects of taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); these include ulcers and bleeding, and in extreme cases can lead to significant poor health or even death.

The NSAIDs market is an absolutely massive one, with around US$12bn a year spent on this class of drugs. If Oxford can crack the problem of gastrointestinal side effects then the market will be even bigger, and the UK company would be set to grab a significant slice of it.

Oxford Pharmascience shares advance further on ibuprofen data
By Ian Lyall May 09 2013, 12:52pm At 1pm, the shares were changing hands for 4 pence each and their value has increased 150% in the past year. At 1pm, the shares were changing hands for 4 pence each and their value has increased 150% in the past year.

Shares in Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) advanced a further 2% on Thursday and built on Wednesday’s gains as the market continued to digest data on its safer iteration of a top selling painkiller.

OXP’s study indicated its OXPzero Ibuprofen could reduce stomach irritation side-effects.

While the research was only conducted on mice, the breakthrough could be significant.

The genetic and biological characteristics of mice are close to those of humans, which is one of the reasons they are so widely used in medical research.

The pharmacological assessment showed that Oxford’s OXPzero Ibuprofen material reduces the irritation and ulcerating damage of ibuprofen.

Broker N+1 Singer said the results were a “very significant and important” step for the group and added that that OXP product had “remarkable potential”.

“There are over 30 million people consuming NASIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) every day, generating around US$12 billion in annual sales, providing a very attractive opportunity to the group,” said analyst Sheena Berry.

“We note the impressive share price performance over the last seven months and believe this momentum should continue as the company progresses its programmes through development.”

At 1pm, the shares were changing hands for 4 pence each and their value has increased 150% in the past year.

Some large O trade buys this afternoon and the share price hasn't budged.

proactive investor -

Shares in Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) advanced almost 20% this week as it revealed data on its safer version of a top selling painkiller.

OXP’s study indicated its OXPzero Ibuprofen could reduce stomach irritation side-effects. And although the research was only conducted on mice, the breakthrough could be significant.

Target price raised to 9.2p:

Oxford Pharmascience price target raised 33% by N+1 Singer
By Ian Lyall May 15 2013, 1:56pm

According to the NHS, ibuprofen can cause a number of side effects, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, indigestion and abdominal pain.

City broker N+1 Singer has raised its valuation of Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) by 33% to reflect the potential of its adaptation of a top selling painkiller.

Its target price rises to 9.2 pence a share, representing a significant premium to the current share price of 3.92 pence.

The upgrade follows pre-clinical data last week that indicated OXPzero ibuprofen could reduce stomach irritation side-effects.

While the study was only conducted on mice, the breakthrough could be significant.

The genetic and biological characteristics of mice are close to those of humans, which is one of the reasons they are so widely used in medical research.

The pharmacological trial showed that Oxford’s OXPzero Ibuprofen material reduces the irritation and ulcerating damage of ibuprofen.

Ibuprofen, along with the likes of aspirin and paracetamol, is one of the main “go-to” pain killers available over the counter today.

It has long been proved to be effective in easing pain and swelling, and is a member of a group of medicines called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs for short.

According to the NHS, ibuprofen can cause a number of side effects, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, indigestion and abdominal pain.

“The successful data from the proof of concept pre-clinical trial is a very significant and important step for the group,” said N+1 analyst Sheena Berry.

“The initiation of the NSAIDs programme is very interesting and one that could be very rewarding given the size of the US$12bn NSAIDs market.

“The change in focus to the higher value pharmaceutical market in 2011 is proving to have been a pivotal decision and one, in our view, that has the potential to reap significant benefits.”

Since hitting a low in September last year the stock advanced more than 330%, but is still valued at less than £30mln.

However, analyst Berry remains optimistic on the outlook for the stock.

“We continue to be extremely upbeat about the group as it continues its drive to become a major player in the re-formulation market,” she added.

Good news d ,9.2p

The drinks are on you then when that happens dc - I would like a nicely chilled glass of Sancerre, thank you !:-)

Lol, have what ever you would like d.

Hitting an all time high right now.

Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC (OXP:LSE) set a new 52-week high during today's trading session when it reached 4.30. Over this period, the share price is up 214.81%.

10million 'O' trade just gone through at 4.125p

Some big trades going through after the close tonight.

Bodes well d4. :-))


Oxford Pharma brings new life to tried and tested drugs
By Proactive Investors May 22 2013, 8:45am
Marcelo Bravo, Chief Technology Officer at Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP), explains to Proactiveinvestors how the company re-engineers existing drugs to improve the way they work and overcome side effects. Marcelo discusses the recent successful study for ibuprofen and the launch of the safer NSAID programme, the news of which drove shares to two year highs.


http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/stocktube/2001/oxford-pharma-brings-new-life-to-tried-and-tested-drugs-2001.html

2 RNS just out - Invesco picked up another 20 million shares earlier this week.

Holding(s) in Company

RNS

UBS Investment Bank



http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=4603160

10million buy declared at 18.26.

2 RNS just out. UBS increasing their holding.

Ache Line Extension

RNS


RNS Number : 1350G

Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC

04 June 2013




Oxford Pharmascience Group plc

("Oxford Pharmascience" or "the Company")

Oxford Pharmascience announces line extension for Brazil



Oxford Pharmascience, the specialty pharmaceutical company that uses advanced pharmaceutic technologies to make medicines better, safer and easier to take, today announces that it has agreed a line extension in Brazil with its Brazilian partner Aché Pharmaceuticos (Aché) for a new version of its calcium and vitamin D chew marketed under the brand name Inellare.

Sales to Aché of this new format are expected to begin in Q3 2013.



Nigel Theobald, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Pharmascience commented,

"Our chew business in Brazil continues to grow strongly and the addition of a new version of our calcium product in the Brazilian market shows both the commitment of our partner and the ongoing potential for the range."

Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP), which specialises in reformulating tried and tested medicines, has agreed a line extension in Brazil with its Brazilian partner Aché Pharmaceuticos.

The deal is for a new version of Oxford’s calcium and vitamin D chew marketed under the brand name Inellare.

Broker N+1 Singer speculated that the new line being introduced is a sugar-free version of the calcium and vitamin D chew.

As it had already forecast this development, it is making no changes to its estimates, adding that it expects both the sugar and sugar-free versions of the chew to achieve modest growth, with minimal cannibalisation of market share.

“This morning’s news is evidence of Oxford Pharmascience continuing to deliver, with on-going progress being made in all three of its technology platforms,” it said.

“We maintain upbeat about the group and believe it is capable of becoming a major player in the re-formulation market. We recently upgraded our intrinsic value per share to 9.2p on the back of the successful proof of concept data with OXP zero and await further updates on the group’s development progression.”

Interesting post today on the other bulletin board by a shareholder who attended the AGM.

RNS Number : 5335J
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
17 July 2013



Oxford Pharmascience Group plc



("Oxford Pharmascience" or "the Company")



Oxford Pharmascience appoints Head of Clinical Development



Oxford Pharmascience, the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, today announces it has appointed Sheryl Caswell as Clinical Development Manager. Sheryl will be responsible for leading and executing the company's clinical development strategy focused on the company's two main medicines reformulation programmes in NSAIDs and Statins with reduced side effects. Sheryl will be a member of Oxford Pharmascience's management team reporting to Marcelo Bravo, chief technology officer.

Sheryl has more than 15 years of experience developing and executing global clinical programs for novel and first-in-class products from Phase I through Phase IV, with particular experience in early phase clinical development. Most recently as Clinical Programme Lead at Biogen Idec Ltd, she led the clinical programmes of two of the company's product candidates in neurology. Prior to that she served as Programme Director and Director of Clinical Research for Plethora Solutions where she led the clinical function as well as had overall clinical development responsibility for early phase products.

"Sheryl Caswell is joining Oxford Pharmascience at an exciting time in the company's evolution. We are progressing to human proof of concept trials in both our NSAIDs and Statin programmes and Sheryl will play a key role in making this happen," said Marcelo Bravo, Chief Technology Officer. "We look forward to leveraging Sheryl's extensive global clinical development experience as we advance our two main programmes in reformulation of NSAIDs and Statins with reduced side effects".

The road to market for most drugs is a long and arduous one, but the signs at Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) are that everything is proceeding to plan, according to N+1 Singer.

The pharmaceutical company announced on Tuesday that industry veteran Sheryl Caswell has joined the company as clinical development manager, to oversee the company's clinical development strategy.

House broker N+1 Singer said: “The new appointment is an indication of the next phase of the group’s existing development plan, with progress towards human proof of concept trials in both the NSAIDs and statin programmes continuing as anticipated.”

The broker reiterated its 9.2p intrinsic value per share number for Oxford, saying it remains upbeat about the company, which it believes “is capable of becoming a major player in the reformulation market.”

Option with UCL to Explore Further Compounds

RNS


RNS Number : 0548K

Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC

25 July 2013






Oxford Pharmascience Group plc

("Oxford Pharmascience" or "the Company")

Oxford Pharmascience signs option with UCL to explore further compounds.



Oxford Pharmascience, the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, today announces that it has signed an option agreement with UCL ("University College London" to investigate 53 further compounds that it could potentially commercialise using UCL's Phloral™ technology.



Following closely working with UCL on the Company's program for Atorvastatin and Simvastatin, it has identified a further 53 compounds which might benefit from reformulation using Phloral™ to reduce their associated side effects.



The Company has agreed an option period until March 2014 to investigate the potential for these compounds with a further option period for another year to explore more thoroughly those compounds that it will identify to have the greatest commercial and clinical potential.





Nigel Theobald Chief Executive of Oxford Pharmascience commented



"Our focus on reformulating existing medicines to make them safer and easier to take is now gathering strong momentum with our programs for NSAIDs (non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs) and Statins.



There are many other drugs widely used where side effects reduce the tolerance or compliance in patients. This option allows us to explore a range of potential drug candidates which fit with this strategy without taking our eyes off the existing programs.



We are committed to building a strong portfolio of reformulated drugs to deliver the high returns of new drug development but without the high risks."

Oxford Pharmascience extends collaboration with UCL
By Philip Whiterow July 25 2013, 8:11am The new agreement gives Oxford Pharma an option over a further 53 compounds.The new agreement gives Oxford Pharma an option over a further 53 compounds.

Drug delivery specialist Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) has extended its collaboration with University College London (UCL) in the statins market.

The new agreement gives Oxford Pharma an option over a further 53 compounds that it could commercialise using the university’s Phloral technology.

The company, which specialises in making drugs easier to take, is already working with UCL on re-formulations of generic statins Atorvastatin and Simvastatin to reduce their side effects.

The new deal gives Oxford Pharma until March next year to investigate the potential for the 53 compounds with an option to work for another year on those that have the best commercial and clinical potential.

Nigel Theobald, Oxford Pharma’s chief executive, said: "Our focus on reformulating existing medicines to make them safer and easier to take is now gathering strong momentum with our programs for NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and statins.

“There are many other drugs widely used where side effects reduce the tolerance or compliance in patients.

“This option allows us to explore a range of potential drug candidates which fit with this strategy without taking our eyes off the existing programmes.”

It all sounds very promising, dreamcatcher. Fortunately I don't have to take painkillers or drugs of any kind on a regular basis, but even very mild painkillers upset my gut. I have friends who need various drugs to alleviate medical conditions and the side effects are not pleasant.

when can AIM shares be added to ISAs [i know its Autumn but not sure when datewise] and will it be all AIM shares or just certain ones[ie the larger companies] as i would like to add these and SAR to my ISA.

Alex

See if this helps rob.

http://citywire.co.uk/money/qanda-aim-shares-and-isas/a690692

Oxford Pharmascience's new UCL deal is a "win-win"
By John Harrington July 25 2013, 12:44pm The compounds being looked at are already on the market, which means the route to market for new variations should be relatively swift.The compounds being looked at are already on the market, which means the route to market for new variations should be relatively swift.

Drug delivery specialist Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) has extended and deepened its collaboration with the University College London (UCL) and the university's well-regarded Phloral technology.

The new agreement gives Oxford Pharma an option over a further 53 compounds that it could commercialise using the university’s know-how.

The company is already working with UCL on re-formulations of generic statins Atorvastatin and Simvastatin to reduce their side effects, and the new deal will see Oxford Pharma get first pick of a different batch of compounds.

“It’s the same technology that we’re licensing,” Nigel Theobald, Oxford Pharma’s chief executive, explained to Proactive Investors. That technology is a more effective drug delivery system that, in essence, achieves the same effect as regular drugs but with smaller dosages.

“There are lots of other drugs out there where there are side-effects caused from metabolism in the Cy [Cytochrome] P450 system,” he added. Cy-P450 enzymes are essential for the metabolism of many medications.

The new deal gives Oxford Pharma until March next year to investigate the potential for the 53 compounds with an option to work for another year on those that have the best commercial and clinical potential.

In fact, the company has already been doing some preliminary work on the testing, indicating that the relationship between UCL and Oxford Pharma is a healthy and potentially productive one.

Speaking about the compounds, Theobald said: “Some of them could have a very strong commercial need, and a very strong clinical need, and could work very well with our technology. All three of those things we are investigating.”

Theobald said that Oxford Pharma and UCL have yet to agree on the terms of any licensing arrangement that arises from the new deal have, but they are likely to be similar to the terms already agreed for statins.

“We’re just pushing on and trying to get the greatest commercial opportunities out of it [the relationship]. They’re delighted, and we’re delighted. It’s a good win-win,” Theobald said.

Just as importantly, the deal closes the door to any competitor that might have been interested in getting a look at these compounds.

“Having already told the world how to do it, we want to make sure that people don’t try to get in ahead of us,” the Oxford Pharma chief executive said.

It is classic Oxford Pharmascience procedure, exploring and developing better options of existing drugs.

“All of the compounds are on the market. A good chunk of them are already generic, and some are coming off-patent very soon,” Theobald revealed.

"Our focus on reformulating existing medicines to make them safer and easier to take is now gathering strong momentum with our programmes for NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and statins.

“There are many other drugs widely used where side effects reduce the tolerance or compliance in patients.

“This option allows us to explore a range of potential drug candidates which fit with this strategy without taking our eyes off the existing programmes.”

Theobald was keen to emphasise that last point about the new deal not being a distraction to the company’s existing work programmes.

“The redevelopment work that we do will be quick and it will be relatively cheap,” Theobald said.

Shares in Oxford Pharmascience were up 1.8% at 3.74p in lunch-time trading.

SMALL CAPS SHARE TIPS: Uni tie-up and statins breakthrough gives Oxford Pharmascience a shot in the arm

By John Harrington, Proactive Investors

PUBLISHED: 17:43, 29 July 2013 | UPDATED: 18:10, 29 July 2013





Shares in Oxford Pharmascience continue to perform well as investors sharpen their focus on its innovative work with University College London.

Investors appear keen to back the company which has just inked a new deal to extend and deepen its collaboration with UCL and the university's well-regarded Phloral technology.

The idea is that together they will apply innovative drug delivery technology, which will allow more effective dosing, and hopefully reduce side-effects as a result. The partners have already had success with this kind of work on statins, a cholesterol busting drug.




Under the microscope: Oxford Pharmascience has deals in place to commercialise further UCL scientific breakthroughs.

One of the major problems with statins is that many users suffer unpleasant side effects such as inflammation and muscle damage.

A lower dosage would result in fewer side effects, but also, under normal circumstances, be less effective in lowering the patient’s cholesterol level.




However, Oxford Pharma has reformulated two of the most widely used generic statins, Atorvastatin and Simvastatin, which will allow them to be delivered to the colon where they are more effectively absorbed into the liver.

The new agreement, signed last week, gives Oxford Pharma an option over a further 53 compounds that it could commercialise using the UCL’s know-how.

The new deal will see Oxford Pharma get first pick of a different batch of compounds.


.
'It’s the same technology that we’re licensing,' Nigel Theobald, Oxford Pharma’s chief executive, explained to Proactive Investors.

Oxford Pharma has until March next year to investigate the potential for the 53 compounds and it can then spend another year assessing those with the best commercial and clinical potential.

Speaking about the compounds, Theobald said: 'Some of them could have a very strong commercial need, and a very strong clinical need, and could work very well with our technology. All three of those things we are investigating.'

Oxford Pharma and UCL have yet to agree on the terms of any licensing arrangements should these programmes lead to commercial products, but it is likely that any deal would be similar to the terms to other existing terms for statins.



Hargreaves Isa Guide 2

'We’re just pushing on and trying to get the greatest commercial opportunities out of it [the relationship]. They’re delighted, and we’re delighted. It’s a good win-win,' Theobald said.

Just as importantly, the deal closes the door to any competitor that might have been interested in getting a look at these compounds.

'Having already told the world how to do it, we want to make sure that people don’t try to get in ahead of us.'

It is classic Oxford Pharmascience procedure, exploring and developing better options of existing drugs.

'All of the compounds are on the market. A good chunk of them are already generic, and some are coming off-patent very soon,' Theobald revealed.

'Our focus on reformulating existing medicines to make them safer and easier to take is now gathering strong momentum with our programmes for NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and statins.

'There are many other drugs widely used where side effects reduce the tolerance or compliance in patients. This option allows us to explore a range of potential drug candidates which fit with this strategy without taking our eyes off the existing programmes.'

Theobald was keen to emphasise that last point about the new deal not being a distraction to the company’s existing work programmes.

'The redevelopment work that we do will be quick and it will be relatively cheap,' Theobald said.

RNS
RNS Number : 8525K
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
02 August 2013



Oxford Pharmascience Group plc



("Oxford Pharmascience" or "the Company")





Oxford Pharmascience establishes Scientific Advisory Board





Oxford Pharmascience, the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, today announces establishment of a scientific advisory board to support its medicines reformulation programme.



The Scientific Advisory Board shall consist of the Chief Technology Officer and independent world class experts, providing a broad range of expertise in both basic and clinical sciences, as well as technologies. The Scientific Advisory Board will function as a broadly knowledgeable and objective group of scientists and non-scientists to consider and report periodically to the Board on matters relating to the investment in the Company's research and development and technology initiatives. The Scientific Advisory Board may also suggest specialist advisers and work closely with them to help progress elements of the Company's business.



As a first step, the company is appointing Professor Bill Dawson to serve on the scientific advisory board. Bill Dawson retired from Eli Lilly and Co in 1996 after 27 years where he was Research Director for 14 years and took 15 compounds into development, two of which reached the market. Bill is currently a non-executive director of Proteome Sciences Plc, and Antitope Ltd as well as a member of a number of corporate Scientific Advisory Boards. He is Chairman of the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences and a Visiting Professor at the UCL School of Pharmacy. He is a member of the Expert Panel advising the Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst.



Marcelo Bravo, Chief Technology Officer of Oxford Pharmascience commented, "The establishment of a world class Scientific Advisory Board to guide the company's development programme will help us accelerate progress into specific medicine development programmes. Professor Dawson's experience in the design, selection and progression of new medicines through optimal R&D programmes is invaluable as we enter a new stage as a company. We plan to continue building the Scientific Advisory Board with further appointments in the coming months."

Oxford Pharmascience sets up Scientific Advisory Board
By John Harrington


August 02 2013, 1:18pm Professor Dawson is chairman of the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences and a visiting professor at the UCL School of Pharmacy. He is also a member of the Expert Panel advising the Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst.Professor Dawson is chairman of the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences and a visiting professor at the UCL School of Pharmacy. He is also a member of the Expert Panel advising the Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst.

Medicines reformulation specialist Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) is setting up what it describes as a “world class” Scientific Advisory Board to support its development programme.

Marcelo Bravo, chief technology officer of Oxford Pharmascience, will be on the Scientific Advisory Board, as will a number of independent experts, starting with Professor Bill Dawson, a former leading light at US pharmaceuticals giant Eli Lilly.

Professor Dawson retired from Eli Lilly in 1996 after 27 years where he was director of Research for 14 years. During his time at the US pharmaceuticals company he took 15 compounds into development, two of which reached the market.

He is currently a non-executive director of Proteome Sciences plc, and Antitope Ltd as well as a member of a number of corporate Scientific Advisory Boards.

Further appointments to this team of experts will be made in the coming months. The idea is for the board to have a broad range of skills, experiences and fields of expertise, extending beyond the world of science into areas such as technology.

Oxford Pharmascience said the Scientific Advisory Board will report periodically to the Oxford Pharma board on matters relating to the investment in the company's research and development and technology initiatives. The Scientific Advisory Board may also suggest specialist advisers and work closely with them to help progress elements of the company's business.

"The establishment of a world class Scientific Advisory Board to guide the company's development programme will help us accelerate progress into specific medicine development programmes,” Bravo explained.

“Professor Dawson's experience in the design, selection and progression of new medicines through optimal R&D [research & development] programmes is invaluable as we enter a new stage as a company,” he added.

The creation of this brains trust follows a week after the drug delivery specialist extended and deepened its collaboration with the University College London (UCL) and the university's well-regarded Phloral technology.

The deal gave Oxford Pharma first dibs on 53 compounds that it could commercialise using the university’s know-how.

“All of the compounds are on the market. A good chunk of them are already generic, and some are coming off-patent very soon,” Oxford Pharmascience chief executive Nigel Theobald revealed to Proactive Investors last week.

In keeping with Oxford Pharmascience's normal strategy, the company will be looking to see if it can reformulate the compounds, making them more effective and therefore suitable for commercial release.

and ISA-able from 05 Aug 2013

Did you see post 73 rob, hope it helped.

DC, it did thanks though i got the date off of another thread somewhere on MoneyAM. i can't remember which one though.

roll on the 5th August

Alex

Only four days robertalexander. :-))

Speciality pharma group Oxford Pharmascience's (LON:OXP) establishment of a Scientific Advisory Board and the appointment of Professor Bill Dawson indicate the progression of the group’s existing development plan remains on track, said house broker N+1 Singer.

"Momentum of moving towards human proof of concept trials in both the NSAIDs and Statin programmes continues to build. We re-iterate our upbeat view and believe the group is capable of becoming a major player in the reformulation market. We retain our 9.2p intrinsic value per share." Shares were 3.7p today.



http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/columns/broker-spotlight/13757/broker-round-up-part-2-genel-advanced-computer-leni-gas-oil-13757.html

On the move up today as some large buyers appeared earlier on.
The bounce is from support

Slowly but surely is on the up again today

It's very much a share that requires a lot of patience, but the potential here is enormous if all goes to plan and the various tests and trials prove positive.

Half Yearly Report

RNS


RNS Number : 2445O

Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC

18 September 2013




Oxford Pharmascience Group plc

("Oxford Pharmascience" or "the Company")

Oxford Pharmascience publishes its interim results for the six months to 30 June 2013



Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc is pleased to announce its unaudited interim results for the six months to 30 June 2013.



Download
The full interim results are available to view and download via the following link:



http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/2445O_-2013-9-17.pdf



Chairman's Statement



The first half of 2013 has seen continued progress in the growth of the business and evolution of Oxford Pharmascience into a drug re-development company with an exciting pipeline of innovative medicines with huge commercial potential.

The Group's strategy is now firmly established on re-developing already approved oral prescription and OTC products to address unmet patient needs with significant commercial potential. Focusing on off-patent drugs that have been approved and been in extensive use for a long time reduces both development and commercial risk and results in a simplified drug development regulatory pathway. This in turn allows for less expensive development programmes and faster access to market.

Having spent its initial years establishing its core technology platforms the group has refocused its activities on applying these technologies to developing improved formulations of existing drugs in the large pharmaceutical sectors of pain relief and cardiovascular treatments, specifically on NSAIDs and Statins. These are two of the largest drug categories in the world with combined sales of c $24bn and are dominated by off patent drugs. Re-developing these drugs to reduce side effects and improve compliance for the majority of patients taking these medicines is a compelling strategy and the group is well placed to deliver exciting new products in this manner.

The raising of a further £5m in March of this year has allowed the Group to push on with the development of taste masked ibuprofen products and its programme for new versions of the blockbuster drugs atorvastatin and simvastatin. In May we announced positive animal studies that showed the OXPzero™ technology could have the potential to reduce the risk for patients taking NSAIDs on a long term basis of developing ulcers and other serious gastric conditions. The Company has already begun to put in place a programme to develop ibuprofen tablets to reduce this gastric risk using the OXPzero™ ibuprofen salt it has already developed.

In addition we have recently strengthened our internal team and now have a strong scientific advisory board that has started providing guidance on the clinical programmes to bring these products to market.

Preparations to initiate this work are on-going and clinical programmes for ibuprofen and statins will begin in 2014. Full details will be published shortly along with key milestones to allow shareholders to monitor the progress of the programmes.

The future is incredibly exciting and existing business growth shows a glimpse of what the Group can do once its products reach market. Our calcium product continues to grow from strength to strength. Group sales for the first half of 2013 were £501,000, 47% higher than the same period last year and 7.5% higher than the whole of 2012. Strong growth in sales is expected to continue in the second half of 2013.

This is just the start of what the future has to offer for Oxford Pharmascience and I am delighted at the speed of transition the group has shown in the first 6 months of 2013



David Norwood

Chairman

18 September 2013

Oxford Pharmascience shares up as revenues jump by half
By Jamie Nimmo September 18 2013, 3:27pm Oxford Pharma is now focused on being on a drug re-development companyOxford Pharma is now focused on being on a drug re-development company

--UPDATES SHARE PRICE--

Shares in AIM-listed Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) received a shot in the arm on Wednesday when it revealed first-half revenues jumped 47% as it refocused the business on drug re-development.

The £501,000 generated in the six months to June 30 outstripped the total revenues from 2012, while the loss before tax increased slightly to £585,000, from £399,000 the year before.

It came as the company opted to redevelop existing oral drugs to make them better and easier to take instead of the previous emphasis on its technology platforms.

Shares rose 4.2% to 3.83p each on the news.

“The future is incredibly exciting and existing business growth shows a glimpse of what the group can do once its products reach market,” chairman David Norwood said in a statement.

“This is just the start of what the future has to offer for Oxford Pharmascience and I am delighted at the speed of transition the group has shown in the first 6 months of 2013.”

The shift in focus will see the company work predominantly on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, and statins, used to reduce cholesterol, which have combined global sales of $24bn and are dominated by off-patent drugs.

NSAIDs and statins have serious side effects, which limit their use. Oxford Pharma plans to reformulate these drugs with reduced side effects.

The technologies it has been developing up to this point will be used to develop improved formulations of existing pain relief drugs and cardiovascular treatments.

Chief executive Nigel Theobald told Proactive Investors that redeveloping existing drugs is a quicker and cheaper way of getting a drug to market.

“Because they’re already proven to be safe and effective, bringing new versions of these drugs to market will take on average just two to three years at around £5mln a drug,” he explained.

“If we were developing a totally new drug in these areas, that would take over 10 years and cost over £1bn.

“For a fraction of the investment, you can see huge returns by redeveloping these existing drugs.”

Theobald added: “We’ve already established our technology platforms and seen the potential. So we’re now redeveloping existing drugs ourselves to make them better and easier to take.”

He said the second half of the year has started well, with Brazilian partner Aché launching a second version of the company’s calcium chew.

Theobald also highlighted the “massive deals” being done in the sector, pointing in particular to Sanofi’s recent deal with Oxford Pharma’s US peer Pozen.

The French pharma giant agreed to pay Pozen US$35mln earlier this month for a combination aspirin and omeprazole pill that avoids common side effects.

Oxford Pharma ended the six months with £6.65mln in cash, compared with just £639,000 in the same period last year.

N+1 Singer hailed a “solid” set of results from the company, highlighting the “impressive growth” shown in the numbers.

“The group’s ambition in both areas has potentially massive implications going forward and we continue to be extremely upbeat about the group as it continues its drive to become a major player in the re-formulation market,” said analyst Sheena Berry.

Oxford Pharmascience has 'exciting' potential as growth continues
By Jeremy Naylor September 18 2013, 8:54am
Nigel Theobald, CEO of Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP), tells Proactiveinvestors that the second half has started strongly. Having established the technology platforms Nigel says that the company is now focused on areas that have 'huge' potential.



http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/stocktube/2188/oxford-pharmascience-has-exciting-potential-as-growth-continues--2188.html

Oxford Pharmascience H1s indicate an 'exciting' redevelopment future
SharecastSharecast – 18 minutes ago..
LONDON (ShareCast) - Interim results from Oxford Pharmascience show the first small signs of an exciting future after it morphed into a drug re-development company.

Group sales for the first half of 2013 were 47% higher than the same period last year at £501,000 and 7.5% higher than the whole of 2012.

Chairman David Norwood, a serial director of innovative small cap companies and also a chess grandmaster, said: "The future is incredibly exciting and existing business growth shows a glimpse of what the group can do once its products reach market."

The new strategy involves using its core technology platforms to re-develop oral prescription drugs and over the counter drugs (OTC) that are already on the market so that they address unmet patient needs with significant commercial potential or are just more accessible, such as its making a better-tasting calcium and vitamin D supplement.

"Focusing on offpatent drugs that have been approved and been in extensive use for a long time reduces both development and commercial risk and results in a simplified drug development regulatory pathway," explained Norwood.

"This in turn allows for less expensive development programmes and faster access to market."

Norwood noted that the chewy calcium supplement continued to grow from strength to strength and across the group strong growth in sales was expected to continue in the second half of the year.

The AIM-listed company, which changed its name from Oxford Nutrascience in 2011, saw losses grow from £0.4m to £0.6m as administration expenses grew.

A £5m fundraising in March allowed OXP to push on with the development of taste-masked ibuprofen products and new versions of the blockbuster drugs atorvastatin and simvastatin for lowering cholesterol.

Shares in OXP were flat on Thursday at 3.83p.

Ticking up again - some news on the horizon?

Oxford Pharma could become major player in re-formulation market, says N+1 Singer
By Giles Gwinnett September 25 2013, 8:33am The firm has shifted focus to developing products for the NSAID (non-steriod anti-inflammatory drug) and statin markets and clinical trials in both programmes are expected to begin next year, highlighted N+1 analyst Sheena BerryThe firm has shifted focus to developing products for the NSAID (non-steriod anti-inflammatory drug) and statin markets and clinical trials in both programmes are expected to begin next year, highlighted N+1 analyst Sheena Berry

Broker N+1 Singer is "extremely upbeat" about the prospects for Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) as it transforms into a drug re-development company.

Following a "solid" set of interims last week, the broker has lifted its intrinsic value for the firm by 26% to 11.6 pence a share, from 9.2 pence previously.

Shares are currently changing hands at 3.95p each.

The firm has shifted focus to developing products for the NSAID (non-steriod anti-inflammatory drug) and statin markets and clinical trials in both programmes are expected to begin next year, highlighted N+1 analyst Sheena Berry.

It will re-develop existing oral drugs to make them better and easier to take instead of the company's previous emphasis on its technology platforms.

Speaking to Proactive last week, chief executive Nigel Theobald pointed to the “massive deals” being done in the sector and singled out Sanofi’s recent deal with Oxford Pharma’s US peer, Pozen.

The French pharma giant agreed to pay Pozen US$35mln earlier this month for a combination aspirin and omeprazole pill that avoids common side effects.

Analyst Berry noted that the Pozen and Sanofi-Aventis deal creates "a precedent" in this space, adding that Oxford has the ability "to take products to marketing authorisation itself, with the flexibility to consider and potentially establish partnerships in the interim".

"It is likely that the group will licence products on a market by market basis with the possibility of it entering certain markets on its own resources," she said.

"The group’s ambition in both areas has potentially massive implications going forward and we continue to be extremely upbeat about the group as it continues its drive to become a major player in the re-formulation market," she said.

Oxford Pharma’s recent interim results revealed it is well funded with £6.65mln in cash at the period-end.

The stock, meanwhile, has been a top performer as it has undergone its transformation under CEO Theobald and the team as it has advanced 155% in the past year.

However Singer’s price target points to further significant upside. “In our view, the group has a substantial opportunity to become a major player in the re-formulation market,” concluded Berry.

“Our valuation is based on risk adjusted ten-year net present value analyses of the group’s expected income streams. We are buoyant about the prospects that the group is capable of delivering.”

Thank you for that dreamcatcher - makes very positive reading.

:-)) Looks good doodlebug4

25 Sep N+1 Singer N/A Corporate


What does corporate mean ?

Belonging to a corporation or group I suppose.

Thanks for that doodlebug4, Singer seems to state this often.

UPDATE - Oxford Pharmascience promotes from within as FD steps down
By John Harrington October 18 2013, 9:40am The directors are pleased to welcome Chris to the board in what is an exciting time for Oxford Pharmascience as they continue to grow and evolve in to a drug re-development company.The directors are pleased to welcome Chris to the board in what is an exciting time for Oxford Pharmascience as they continue to grow and evolve in to a drug re-development company.

---ADDS BROKER COMMENTS---

Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) has a new finance director, after Mike Bretherton stepped down from the board following his relocation to Guernsey earlier this year.

Bretherton has been replaced by Chris Hill, who has been Oxford Pharma's company secretary for around three years.
Hill, a director of investment company Quoram (LON:QRM), is clearly multi-talented, having combined his studies at Leeds Metropolitan University with a professional rugby career.

House broker N+1 Singer is not expecting the company to miss a beat as the new number cruncher takes over.

“We believe Chris Hill taking over as finance director will be a smooth transition as he knows the company well having held the position of company secretary for the past 3 years,” the broker said.

“Hill will assist the group in its transformation into a drug re-development company, focusing on product development in the NSAID and Statin markets. With clinical trials in both the group’s NSAID and Statin programmes expected to commence in 2014, the group’s future prospects are enticing. We continue to be extremely upbeat about the group’s capabilities,” N+1 Singer added.

Pharmaceutical reformulation specialist Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) has completed formulation of ‘Gastric Safe’ 400mg Ibuprofen tablets as it proceeds towards clinical pilot testing.

The high-dose tablet delivers 400mg of ibuprofen via the company's OXPzero technology and aims to provide significantly reduced risks of gastrointestinal (GI) side effects.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) are commonly prescribed to patients requiring relief from symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and other conditions, but higher doses can have serious GI side effects, such as ulcers and bleeding.

Oxford Pharma’s stock in trade is reformulating existing drugs to make them safer and more pleasant to take, and with this development product, scheduled for clinical pilot testing in the early part of 2014, the company is targeting a market that generates US$12bn of sales a day.

"We are extremely excited about reaching this milestone as this is the first product of its kind featuring the OXPzero technology which has a dual mode of action to reduce adverse effects in both the stomach and small intestine,” said Marcelo Bravo, chief technology officer of Oxford Pharmascience.

“OXPzero reduces topical irritation while at the same time supports the GI mucosal defence and restoration processes,” Bravo added.
Pharmaceutical reformulation specialist Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) has completed formulation of ‘Gastric Safe’ 400mg Ibuprofen tablets as it proceeds towards clinical pilot testing.

The high-dose tablet delivers 400mg of ibuprofen via the company's OXPzero technology and aims to provide significantly reduced risks of gastrointestinal (GI) side effects.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) are commonly prescribed to patients requiring relief from symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and other conditions, but higher doses can have serious GI side effects, such as ulcers and bleeding.

Oxford Pharma’s stock in trade is reformulating existing drugs to make them safer and more pleasant to take, and with this development product, scheduled for clinical pilot testing in the early part of 2014, the company is targeting a market that generates US$12bn of sales a day.

"We are extremely excited about reaching this milestone as this is the first product of its kind featuring the OXPzero technology which has a dual mode of action to reduce adverse effects in both the stomach and small intestine,” said Marcelo Bravo, chief technology officer of Oxford Pharmascience.

“OXPzero reduces topical irritation while at the same time supports the GI mucosal defence and restoration processes,” Bravo added.

?4m Placing

http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=4696352

UPDATE - Oxford Pharma in a hurry to develop more NSAIDs
By John Harrington October 31 2013, 1:03pm


Investec and star fund manager Neil Woodford have been strong supporters of Oxford PharmaInvestec and star fund manager Neil Woodford have been strong supporters of Oxford Pharma

---ADDS MANAGEMENT COMMENT AND SHARE PRICE---

Oxford Phamascience Group (LON:OXP) is to raise £4mln through a placing of one million shares at 4p each with the backing of major shareholder, Invesco.

The funds will allow the company to speed up development of further products featuring non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as diclofenac and naproxen, which are widely prescribed for more severe pain, and aspirin, which is widely used to help combat cardiovascular disease.

Earlier this month the pharmaceutical reformulation specialist revealed it has completed formulation of ‘Gastric Safe’ 400mg Ibuprofen tablets as it proceeds towards clinical pilot testing, while it is also working on a reformulation of the widely prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs atorvastatin and simvastatin, but is clearly looking to fast-track more formulations through pilot studies.

The results of the pilot studies for the likes of diclofenac, naproxen and aspirin will be available towards the end of 2014 and will place the company in a much stronger position to negotiate commercial deals as it continues to move towards the development of dossiers for these products, the company said.

"The raising of additional funds allows us to further expand our programme of pilot clinical studies demonstrating the proof of concept of our OXPzero technology when applied to other widely prescribed NSAIDs,” said chief executive officer, Nigel Theobald.

“This will position the company immediately across the whole NSAIDs space, reformulating a range of products with significant reduction in the risk of adverse GI [gastrointestinal] effects across a much wider range of patient indications. This increases the addressable value of the technology to reformulations of NSAIDs currently totalling £4.8bn in prescription sales," Theobald added.

Invesco, which already has a 22.36% stake in Oxford Pharma, will be participating in the placing, having conditionally subscribed for 94mln shares, which will take its stake up to 29.54% - a smidgen below the level at which it would be obliged to launch a formal offer for the company.

The increase in its stake will allay some fears that the imminent departure of Invesco’s star fund manager, Neil Woodford, might lead to the investment firm reducing some of its existing holdings.

Woodford intends to set up his own fund management operation next year, opening up the possibility that he, too, could become an investor in Oxford Pharmascience.

Speaking to Proactive Investors, Oxford’s chief executive officer, Nigel Theobald, declined to predict the future, though he did observe that Woodford and Invesco have been strong supporters of the company.

“Invesco has been focused on the same aim as us, which is to ensure we don’t leave value on the table,” he said, explaining why it was strategically important for the company to develop a broad range of NSAIDs.

“It makes it easier for us to have safer versions of every drug, rather than having to switch everybody to one that we have. It’s really all about ensuring we are always focused on meeting market and the clinical needs, so … with a range of NSAIDs would access the whole of the NSAIDs supermarket, with lots of different partners.

“NSAIDs are very fragmented, and clinicians have their favourites, and so we want to have safer versions of all of them, because our technology works across all of them, so why should we have just one?” Theobald asked.

Shares in Oxford Pharmascience, which have virtually doubled this year, were barely moved on the announcement, down 0.04p at 4.31p.

Holding(s) in Company

Invesco Limited Above 29%.Another 94 million shares.



http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=4699749

Oxford Pharmascience wins innovation award
By Proactive Investors November 11 2013, 10:19am Oxford Pharmascience wins innovation award

Drug delivery specialist Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) has won an award for innovation.

The Innovation Award 2013 was made by Aché Laboratórios, OXP’s partner in Brazil, and it recognises the success of the Inellare product, which was launched by the partners last year.

Inellare is growing strongly with both companies working in close partnership to support a growing pipeline of products under the brand, Oxford Pharmascience (OXP) said.

Aché Laboratórios has a strong presence in Brazil, which is one of the world’s most dynamic, emerging pharmaceutical markets, according to OXP.

"We are delighted to be recognised as the most innovative supplier by our partner Aché, one of the largest emerging markets pharmaceutical companies,” OXP’s chief technology officer Marcelo Bravo said.

“This demonstrates our business model of developing and licensing innovative best-in-class products to major pharmaceutical companies and validates our ability to deliver.

“We look forward to continuing to work with Aché Laboratorios to deliver innovation in Brazil and the rest of South America".

Oxford Pharmascience welcomes new guidelines on statins
StockMarketWire.com
Oxford Pharmascience has welcomed new US guideline which urge wider use of statins to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

The guidelines - which were issued by the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology - use a new formula for estimating someone's risk of stroke or heart attack that includes many factors besides cholesterol which is the main focus currently.

They are the first new guidelines in a decade for preventing heart attacks and strokes which call for twice as many Americans - one-third of all adults - to consider taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs.

Oxford Pharmascience chief executive Nigel Theobald said: "This is fantastic news for our Safestat programme which is developing effective lower dose versions of statins which consequently will reduce a lot of the associated side effects from taking these drugs.

"Statins are already one of the world's largest drug categories and these new guidelines in effect double the market potential for safestat in the USA overnight. We totally support these new guidelines and look forward to seeing how other countries react to these changes."





At 2:21pm: (LON:OXP) Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC share price was +0.05p at 4.05p


Story provided by StockMarketWire.com

Oxford Pharmascience heartened by new US cholesterol guidelines
By John Harrington November 13 2013, 3:05pm The new guidelines also take aim at strokes, not just heart attacks and set a lower threshold for using medicines to reduce risk.The new guidelines also take aim at strokes, not just heart attacks and set a lower threshold for using medicines to reduce risk.

New guidelines in the US on the use of cholesterol-lowering drugs has been hailed as “fantastic news” for Oxford Pharmascience’s (LON:OXP) Safestat programme.

Oxford Pharma, which specialises in reformulating drugs to make them more palatable, and/or less likely to cause unpleasant side effects, said the new directives will lead to a significant increase in the number of US patients that could be prescribed statins in order to lower cholesterol.

Under the current advice, statins are recommended for those who have total cholesterol over 200 and LDL, or "bad cholesterol", of over 100, but the new recommendations, issued by the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology, place much less emphasis on setting numerical cholesterol-lowering targets for patients.

The advice introduces a new formula for calculating a patient's risk of heart disease based on such factors as age, gender and race, instead of high cholesterol levels alone.

Instead of aiming for a specific level of cholesterol, using whatever drugs get a patient to that level, the advice stresses the use of statins, such as simvastatin and atorvastatin, and identifies four groups of people they help the most.

"We're going to give statins to those who are the most likely to benefit,” said Dr Neil Stone, the Northwestern University doctor who headed the cholesterol guideline panel.

What this means, according to Oxford Pharma’s statement, is that 33mln Americans would meet the new threshold to consider taking a statin, with 44% of adult men and 22% of adult women likely to meet the qualification criteria, whereas under the current guidelines, statins are recommended for only about 15% of adults.

"This is fantastic news for our Safestat programme which is developing effective lower dose versions of statins which consequently will reduce a lot of the associated side effects from taking these drugs,” said Nigel Theobald, chief executive officer of Oxford Pharma.

“Statins are already one of the world's largest drug categories and these new guidelines in effect double the market potential for Safestat in the USA overnight. We totally support these new guidelines and look forward to seeing how other countries react to these changes," Theobald added.

While Oxford Pharma welcomed the new directives, Savvas Neophytou, an analyst at Panmure Gordon, suggested the sales people at drugs giant AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) might be suffering a few palpitations at the news and the effects it will have on its big money-spinning cholesterol-lowering drug, Crestor.

“Crestor’s USP [unique selling point] had been its efficacy, so treating to specific targets was a key driver for switching to more efficacious statins if cheaper generics did not work.

“This will no longer be the case. Hence there is no significant driver for adoption. More patients will start (and remain) on cheaper generic products such as atorvastatin (generic copy of Lipitor),” Neophytou predicted.

Oxford Pharmascience's statin opportunity broadens
By John Harrington November 14 2013, 11:51am New US guidelines support OXP's Safestat programmeNew US guidelines support OXP's Safestat programme

The already massive market for Oxford Pharmascience’s (LON:OXP) Safestat formulations of cholesterol-lowering drugs has become even bigger following new US guidelines on prescriptions, N+1 Singer said.

The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology released new guidelines on Tuesday recommending the use of statin therapy for patients across four major groups at risk of a heart attack, stroke or major cardiovascular event.

Previously, the guidance was fixated on numerical values of cholesterol levels and the concomitant risk of heart attacks.

“The new guidelines offer a greater target market for Safestat with around 44% of men and 22% of women in the US meeting the new threshold for statin consideration compared to the current 15%,” the broker notes.

The Safestat programme is focused on developing lower dose versions of statins – drugs prescribed to lower cholesterol levels – that deliver the same beneficial effects as stronger versions. The big advantage to the lower dose versions is the significantly reduced levels of unwelcome side effects or, indeed, the complete absence of side effects for some recipients.

According to a survey conducted by web site www.statinusage.com, nearly three-quarters of new users stop taking their statins by the end of the first year of use. Of those, 62% cite side effects as the reason for doing so.

So, Oxford Pharma’s formulation of the two most popular generic cholesterol-lowering drugs, Atorvastatin and Simvastatin, would already widen the universe of potential statin-takers; the new US guidelines widen it further.

“The new guidelines are a positive for Oxford Pharmascience given the expanding target market. The group has completed formulation development for its Safestat™ formulations of atorvastatin and simvastatin (two leading cholesterol-lowering medication) with clinical trials expected to commence in 2014,” N+1 Singer said.

The change in US guidelines is the second bit of good news this week for Oxford Pharma.

“The group was also awarded the Innovation Award 2013 by Aché Laboratόrios (the group’s partner in Brazil) on Tuesday, validating the group’s capabilities,” N+1 Singer noted.

“We remain upbeat about the group and its future prospects,” the broker concluded.

Shares in Oxford Pharma, which started the year at 2.19p, were up 0.5% to 4.02p in mid-morning trading.

Millions more Britons could be put on statins to cut risk of heart attacks and strokes after US study says a third of adults should take them
•New advice tells doctor's they should consider a patient's lifetime risk
•British experts are preparing two updated sets of guidelines on statin use
•But number of people taking the drugs is likely to increase as much as in US


By Sophie Borland

PUBLISHED:00:23, 14 November 2013| UPDATED:08:14, 14 November 2013
The new advice tells doctors to consider a patient’s lifetime risk and may result in a doubling of prescriptions.

It will be closely monitored by British experts who are preparing two updated sets of guidelines on statin use.

But the number of people taking the drugs in the UK is unlikely to increase by as much as in the States.


Dr David Wald, consultant cardiologist at Barts and the London Hospital, said: ‘The new guidelines widen access to statin treatment.

‘This recognises the effectiveness of statins in reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes, their safety and the availability of lower-cost generic statins, which makes prevention more affordable.

‘It is a sensible step forward and it would be sensible for Britain to follow by introducing policies that simplify as well as broaden access to statin treatment.’




Eight million Britons take statins, up from five million a decade ago.

But experts believe many more should be on them. Heart disease – which includes heart attacks and strokes – claims 82,000 lives annually.

Last year, Oxford researchers claimed 2,000 lives could be saved annually if they were prescribed more widely.

At present, GPs and cardiologists decide whether to prescribe statins mainly by looking at a patient’s cholesterol level – the fatty deposits in blood that clog arteries.

But the guidance issued in America yesterday urges doctors to consider patients’ overall risk of heart attacks and strokes based on their age, whether they smoke, their weight and their gender.

That may lead to more women being offered the drugs because they are more likely to have strokes than men.

Statins are recommended for 15 per cent of adults in the US, but if doctors follow the guidelines they would be prescribed to 30 per cent – 22 per cent of women and 44 per cent of men.

Dr Mike Knapton, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said experts drawing up the guidelines for the NHS would be looking closely at the US recommendations, drawn up by the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology.

But he said it was too early to say how many more patients here would take statins as a result.

He said: ‘I don’t know what effect we will see but my suspicion is it will increase.

‘But I’d be very surprised if it led to a doubling in the numbers of patients.’

Experts from the Joint British Societies of Guidelines are due to publish recommendations for GPs and cardiologists on how they should prescribe statins.

In July next year, the NHS rationing watchdog, NICE, will produce further guidance setting out when doctors should use them.

Both are expected to tell doctors to consider patients whole-life risk of heart attacks and strokes – as in the US guidelines – rather than simply focusing on cholesterol levels.

Last year there were 61million prescriptions in England for statins, which cost as little as £16 for a 12-month course.

They work by reducing the cholesterol in the arteries, and are normally given to patients with high cholesterol following a heart attack, stroke or bypass.


PRESCRIPTIONS FOR HEART AND STROKE DRUG SOARING



Around one million prescriptions for statins are written each week, compared with just a few thousand in 1981.


Statins make up nearly a fifth of all drugs prescribed for heart and circulatory disease in England.


The drugs reduce blood levels of cholesterol, which can build up inside arteries, damaging them and raising the risk of heart disease and stroke.


They may also protect against other health problems, including blood clots and eye disorders, by maintaining a healthy blood supply to the brain.


The most serious adverse reaction is myopathy in about one in 1,000 patients, which can result in muscle pain and weakness.

Ache Sugar Free Launch

RNS


RNS Number : 8926T

Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC

26 November 2013




Oxford Pharmascience Group plc



("Oxford Pharmascience" or "the Company")

Aché launches new sugar free version of Inellare



Oxford Pharmascience (AIM: OXP), the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, confirms that its partner in Brazil, Aché Pharmaceuticos (Aché) has launched a new sugar free version of its calcium and vitamin D chew marketed under the brand name Inellare.

Nigel Theobald, CEO of Oxford Pharmascience commented

"Our relationship with Aché continues to grow from strength to strength and Aché's association with and seal of approval from ANAD (National Association of Diabetes Care) shows how seriously they are marketing our product. We could not hope for a better partner in Brazil"







For further information:



Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc

Nigel Theobald, Chief Executive +44 1865 854874



N+1 Singer

Shaun Dobson/Jenny Wyllie +44 20 7496 3000





About Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc



Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc uses a range of proprietary technology platforms to re-develop existing medicines to make them better, safer or easier to take. The Company does not manufacture or sell its own pharmaceutical products direct to consumers but instead seeks to license its technologies and dossiers to a network of partners, mainly leading pharmaceutical companies with Rx (prescription) and OTC (Over the Counter) branded portfolios.



Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc focuses on existing medicines that are proven to be safe and effective but nevertheless still have associated issues and side effects often affecting compliance. By working with such medicines the Company is able to develop new innovative products for a fraction of the cost, in much quicker timescales and without the high risk of failure associated with developing new drugs.

UPDATE - Oxford Pharmascience sweet on Brazilian partner
By John Harrington November 26 2013, 1:27pm



Oxford Pharma has a long history of putting the lie to the old adage that medicine has to taste bad in order to be effectiveOxford Pharma has a long history of putting the lie to the old adage that medicine has to taste bad in order to be effective

---ADDS BROKER COMMENT---

Oxford Pharmascience's (LON:OXP) partner in Brazil, Aché Pharmaceuticos, has launched a new sugar-free version of its calcium and vitamin D chew.

The UK firm, which specialises in reformulating medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, said the chew would be marketed under the brand name Inellare.

"Our relationship with Aché continues to grow from strength to strength and Aché's association with and seal of approval from ANAD (National Association of Diabetes Care) shows how seriously they are marketing our product," said Nigel Theobald, Oxford's chief executive officer.

"We could not hope for a better partner in Brazil," Theobald added.

Oxford’s broker N+1 Singer noted that the group is now mainly focused on its non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and statin programmes, but said it was encouraging that its taste-masking chew business is still trucking along.

“The group was recently awarded the Innovation Award 2013 by Aché, validating the group’s capabilities. We maintain upbeat about the group and believe it is capable of becoming a major player in the re-formulation market,” the broker said.

N+1 Singer said it had expected a sugar-free version of the chew to begin shipping in 2013 so it would be making no change to its earnings estimates

Dipharma to produce commercial scale Ibuprofen
RNS
RNS Number : 6595U
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
04 December 2013



Oxford Pharmascience Group plc



("Oxford Pharmascience" or "the Company")

Oxford Pharmascience appoints Dipharma to produce its commercial scale 'Gastric Safe' Ibuprofen



Oxford Pharmascience (AIM: OXP), the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, confirms that it has appointed Italian manufacturer Dipharma Francis S.r.l ("Dipharma") to manufacture commercial scale batches of its novel 'Gastric Safe' Ibuprofen.

Under the terms of the appointment commercial scale fully validated batches of OXPzero ibuprofen will be available mid 2014. This will allow the production of final products for our planned pivotal trials in 2015. The intention is to make Dipharma the exclusive supplier of the material for all future products developed using the Company's Ibuprofen and other NSAID products.

Nigel Theobald, CEO of Oxford Pharmascience commented

"This is a fantastic appointment for Oxford Pharmascience and another successful milestone in the commercialisation of products using our novel ibuprofen salt which keeps us firmly on track with our development program for taste masked and 'gastric safe' ibuprofen products.

Dipharma are one of the most respected and successful European producers of API's (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients) with a strong history of working with ibuprofen since the early 80's and having more than two decades of manufacturing experience with ibuprofen lysine salt.

Their expertise in NSAIDs manufacture is a massive boost to us and it demonstrates our ability to work with the best partners. It is vital that we partner with a supplier that has the scale to support the market potential of our novel ibuprofen and other NSAID salts so we can achieve maximum market share in this highly attractive $12bn global NSAIDs market "

SMALL CAP MOVERS: 2013 a good year for FTSE AIM 100 - barring last-minute festive surprises


By Jamie Ashcroft, Proactive Investors

PUBLISHED: 14:55, 6 December 2013 | UPDATED: 14:55, 6 December 2013

Oxford Pharmascience (unchanged today at 4p) is another of the year's top performing biotechs, doubling in value since the start of the year, and this week it landed a manufacturing partner that can handle the drug developer’s ambitious targets for its 'Gastric Safe' Ibuprofen formulation.


The company has appointed Italian manufacturer Dipharma Francis to produce commercial scale batches of the formulation, and if all goes well, there is every chance that the relationship will be extended to encompass other products.





http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/markets/article-2519427/2013-good-year-FTSE-AIM-100--barring-minute-festive-surprises.html

Press release post MHRA
RNS
RNS Number : 7231V
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
17 December 2013

Oxford PharmaScience progresses towards clinical pilot study having taken advantage of the MHRA Scientific Advice Scheme and appoints Quotient Clinical to undertake its early clinical development program





Oxford Pharmascience, the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, today announces that it has reviewed its proposed initial clinical development of its GI Safe Ibuprofen Tablet with the MHRA using the Scientific Advice Scheme* and has appointed Quotient Clinical, a well-established business with expertise in supporting clients to optimise oral drug products, as it proceeds through the regulatory process for a clinical pilot study.





The Company recently announced it had completed formulation of "Gastric Safe" 400mg Ibuprofen tablets applying its proprietary OXPzero™ technology and it was proceeding towards clinical pilot testing. A critical milestone for the Company was to seek feedback on the proposed clinical programme via a "Scientific Advice" meeting with the MHRA. Following successful completion of this milestone, the Company has appointed Quotient Clinical as its clinical partner to run the initial pilot study which aims to demonstrate proof of concept of reduced gastrointestinal side effects.





NSAIDs are one of the most widely used classes of drugs, with more than 30 million users worldwide consuming NSAIDs each day and annual sales of $12 billion. NSAIDs however cause well documented GI side effects which include ulcers and bleeding and lead to significant morbidity and mortality in many patients. The company is applying its OXPzero™ technology to develop safer formulations of broadly used NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac and aspirin.





Marcelo Bravo, Chief Technology Officer of Oxford Pharmascience commented, "Participating in the Scientific Advice programme of the MHRA and appointing Quotient Clinical are key milestones that enables us to proceed with confidence to the next stage. We plan to submit the application for the pilot clinical trial early in the New Year with subject screening to start in Q1".



Mark Egerton, Chief Executive Officer, Quotient Clinical commented "Quotient is delighted to be working with Oxford Pharmascience to investigate the potential for the OXPzero™ technology to deliver products with better safety profiles, which will represent a significant step forward for patients."



*Companies seeking scientific advice should note that any scientific advice given is not legally binding with regard to any future application of the product concerned, neither on the part of MHRA/CHM nor on the company. Furthermore, advice cannot be taken as indicative of any future agreed position

N+1 Singer welcomes Oxford Pharmascience’s new partner

By Jamie Nimmo

December 18 2013, 12:17pm
N+1 says the company continues to make headway in its development


Broker N+1 Singer hailed the appointment of Oxford Pharmascience’s (LON:OXP) new partner, who will undertake its early clinical development programme.

Quotient Clinical has been signed up to run the initial pilot study which aims to prove that Oxford’s ‘GI safe’ ibuprofen tablet has fewer side effects.

N+1 says the company continues to make headway in its development, counting the appointment of Quotient as a key milestone for the group.

Analyst Sheena Berry said: “We believe that partnering with successful and capable partners, like Quotient Clinical and Dipharma (contract manufacturer appointed earlier in the month), will enable the group to become a major player in the re-formulation market.

“We remain upbeat about the group and its future prospects.”

The company recently completed formulation of 400mg GI safe Ibuprofen tablets applying its proprietary OXPzero technology.

It has been consulting with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) under its Scientific Advice scheme to seek guidance on what form the pilot study should take.

Oxford Pharmasciences sees FY revenues up 122%
StockMarketWire.com
Oxford Pharmascience, the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, said FY revenue is expected to have grown to about £1.02m, up 122% from £0.46m in 2012.

The adjusted loss (before share based payments, depreciation, amortisation and transaction related costs) is expected to show an increase of about 86% from -£0.81 in 2012 to -£1.51m.

Revenue from sales of its chew products in Brazil continues to grow strongly; the increase in adjusted loss reflects the company's increased expenditure on research and development for its NSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) program for which clinical trials will be starting in Q2 2014.

After two successful fund raisings in 2013 the company has cash resources available amounting to £9.6m

Oxford Pharmascience says 2014 will be about commercial deals

By Jeremy Naylor

January 08 2014, 3:58pm



Nigel Theobald, CEO of Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP), says that after doubling revenues in 2013, the coming year is expected to be as good. Nigel says 2014 will also be about getting out to meet new clients and bringing in commercial deals



http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/stocktube/2456/oxford-pharmascience-says-2014-will-be-about-commercial-deals--2456.html

Oxford Pharmascience nominated for Best Health Care PLC award

By John Harrington

January 16 2014, 10:29am
Helped by the continued growth in sales of its chew products in Brazil, revenue for 2013 rose to around £1.02mln from £0.46mln the year before.
Helped by the continued growth in sales of its chew products in Brazil, revenue for 2013 rose to around £1.02mln from £0.46mln the year before.


Awards season is upon us and Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) has been shortlisted in the Best Health Care PLC category at the 2014 UK Stock Market Awards.

The accolade comes after a terrific year for the company which saw the share price rise 70%, revenues more than double and, perhaps most importantly of all, two successful fund raising exercises that will enable the company to accelerate its development programmes.

Awards nominees have been decided upon by a combination of share price performance, commercial success, balance sheets and financials as well as quality of the management, and Oxford Pharma certainly ticks all of those boxes.

The company is no stranger to awards and industry accolades: in November 2013 it was awarded the Innovation Award 2013 by Aché Laboratórios, its pharma partner in Brazil, while in December 2012 it was featured in Lux Research's "Top Emerging Technology Companies in 2012".

The group is hard at work on its next generation of products that will include gastrointestinal safe formulations that address the enormous market for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug products.

That's a sizeable trade, 6million @ 4.05p just gone through. Was that you dreamcatcher? :-)

To small doodlebug4. lol

Q&A: Oxford Pharmascience expects strong sales to continue

By Jeremy Naylor

January 17 2014, 9:28am

"We’ve got new markets opening up for that product and hopefully licensing deals coming through this year as well, so every reason why we should continue."


In a transformational year, drug reformulation specialist Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) saw a 122% rise in revenues over the period. Chief executive Nigel Theobald explains why he believes this trend will continue in 2014.

Proactive Investors: Explain a little bit more about what’s been happening and how this rise been achieved?

Nigel Theobald: We’re delighted that we’ve doubled sales again. We’ve been consistently growing our base business. The sales that we’ve achieved are primarily from our original calcium products that we sell in Asia and Brazil. The Brazilian partner, Aché, have just done exceptionally well with the product and that’s been a major contributor to the sales group.

It shows that when we do get products on market we will achieve very strong sales. That’s really what our business is all about.

PI: Can you envisage this sort of sales increase continuing this year?

NT: I think so, yes. The growth rate is strong and we now have two products in Brazil. We have plans for further products with our partner Aché in Brazil. We’ve got new markets opening up for that product and hopefully licensing deals coming through this year as well, so every reason why we should continue.

PI: Looking back to 2013, you had two fundraisings. You’ve got cash on the balance sheet from that – just under £10 million at the moment. How long is this going to last? What is it going to enable you to do this year?

NT: We raised the money to allow us to refocus our strategy on getting products to dossier. In this market it’s very important that you can have dossiers for the product, because a dossier gives you the ability to then make an application to a country to get the marketing approval for that product to then be sold.

We’ve raised enough money now to get two to three products right the way through to dossier, focusing on the NSAIDs [non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs] programme. We’ll have one GI-safe [gastrointestinal-safe] Ibuprofen dossier, one or two taste-mask Ibuprofen dossiers. That means we can then license those to the major pharma companies to get their own marketing authorisations in the countries that they’re interested in. That money will last us through to getting at least two to three products through to dossier.

PI: What’s the message then for investors this year and those looking at this thinking, “this is a good opportunity”?

NT: Well last year, 2013, really was all about us building up our capability in the clinical area so that we could get products through to dossier rather than just licensing technology for pharma companies to do it themselves. The funding that we’ve got allows us to get the product through to that dossier and then we licence the dossier. It’s a slight change in the commercial strategy but it puts us in a much stronger position.

2014 then is really going to be about increasing our capability to do the commercial deals. Now having got the clinical programme very firmly established and underway, 2014 is about getting out and talking to the pharma partners and bringing in those commercial deals next year and beyond.

Looks like a weensie little gap up to 4.50p!

44,876,831 trade @ 4.125p early this morning.

Approval for clinical study
RNS
RNS Number : 5181Z
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
07 February 2014



Oxford Pharmascience Group plc



("Oxford Pharmascience" or "the Company")

Oxford PharmaScience Receives Regulatory Approval to Start Pilot Clinical Study of OXP001 400mg Ibuprofen

Oxford Pharmascience, the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, today announces that its Clinical Trial Application for OXP001 400mg Ibuprofen has received approval from the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency ('MHRA') and the Ethics Review Committee. OXP001 delivers 400mg of ibuprofen via the company's OXPzero™ technology and it aims to provide significantly reduced risks of gastrointestinal (GI) side effects for use in the treatment of conditions requiring the chronic use of NSAIDs.

NSAIDs are one of the most widely used classes of drugs, with more than 30 million users worldwide consuming NSAIDs each day. However, chronic use of NSAIDs causes well documented GI side effects including ulcers and bleeding and lead to significant morbidity and mortality in many patients.

Marcelo Bravo, Chief Technology Officer commented

"Securing regulatory approval for our initial in-human clinical trial has achieved another important milestone in the development of safer NSAIDs via our OXPZero technology.

We are extremely excited about reaching this milestone as this is the first product of its kind featuring the OXPzero™ technology which has a dual mode of action to significantly reduce gastrointestinal side effects and will offer a new treatment option for those patients taking NSAIDs long term."

The pilot clinical study will be a two arm study between OXP001 and reference Ibuprofen 400 mg tablets in a total of 44 healthy adults and will assess the incidence of upper gastrointestinal irritation via endoscopy. Patient recruitment will start shortly aiming to dose the first patient early in March. Further details about the clinical trial are available via www.clinicaltrials.gov.

I don't think I would the first in the queue to take part in this trial :-)

"The pilot clinical study will be a two arm study between OXP001 and reference Ibuprofen 400 mg tablets in a total of 44 healthy adults and will assess the incidence of upper gastrointestinal irritation via endoscopy. Patient recruitment will start shortly aiming to dose the first patient early in March."

Final Results, Notice of AGM & Appointment of CEO

RNS


RNS Number : 5095B

Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC

05 March 2014






Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc

("Oxford Pharmascience" or the "Company")

Results for the Year Ended 31 December 2013 and Notice of AGM

Appointment of new CEO



Oxford Pharmascience (AIM: OXP), the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, today announces its results for the year ended 31 December 2013 and gives notice of its AGM be held on 18 June 2014 at 2.00pm at the offices of Fasken Martineau LLP, Third Floor, 17 Hanover Square, London, W1S 1HU. The Report and Accounts and Notice of AGM will today be posted to shareholders.





OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

· Continued strong sales growth of soft chew calcium product with Aché Laboratorios in Brazil and launch of Inellare Sugarfree line extension

· Commencement and significant progress in Safer NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) programme, with the successful completion of preclinical work and appointment of Italian Dipharma Francis SRL to supply commercial scale 'gastric safe' Ibuprofen

· Development of "gastric safe" 400mg ibuprofen tablet following successful consultation with MHRA and appointment of Quotient Clinical to conduct clinical pilot study

· Strengthening of organisational capability, with appointment of Head of Clinical Management and Head of Supply Development as well as establishment of Scientific Advisory Board

· Further advancement of "colon delivery" platform with formulation of statin products and signing of option with original licensor to explore 53 further compounds



FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

· Revenue in the year ended 31 December 2013 of £1.03m, a 121% increase on the prior year

· Operating loss of £1.56m (2012: £0.82m) reflecting a planned increase in R&D spend, primarily on the NSAIDs programme

· Balance sheet strengthened by two successful fund raisings for £9m during the year, with cash resources of £9.9m as at 31 December 2013



POST PERIOD EVENTS

· As part of the evolution of the Company's strategy, Marcelo Bravo, founder and previously Chief Technology Officer of the Company, has replaced Nigel Theobald as CEO whose resignation is effective immediately

In 2013 the company made significant progress in the transformation into a drug re-development company initiating development of a pipeline of innovative medicines and building its organisational capability. 2014 is set to be a pivotal year for the company with a focus on advancement of its lead NSAID programmes and initialising international commercialisation of these. To strengthen its organisational capability and position the company for the next phase, the company is evolving its leadership and making further executive and non-executive appointments.



Effective immediately Marcelo Bravo, founder and currently Chief Technology Officer of Oxford Pharmascience assumes the role of CEO replacing Nigel Theobald. Marcelo has a deep knowledge of the Company and extensive experience in growing businesses internationally, and with his background at Oxford Pharmascience makes him ideally poised to lead the Company as it enters the commercial phase. Effective today, Nigel Theobald has resigned as CEO and Board director of the company to pursue new business interests but will assist us going forward with business development support for the over the counter ("OTC") business.



The Company is also in the process of appointing a further non-executive Board Director with a significant track record in business development in the pharmaceutical industry and a (non-board) Director of Research & Development to manage all of the Company's development activities. Further announcements will be made in due course.



The Company now has the resources and the capability to move forward with its lead programmes and is proceeding with a clinical pilot study to establish proof of concept of the gastric risk reduction benefit of its novel form of ibuprofen. In parallel, the Company is taking initial preparatory steps for the commercialisation of taste masked OTC products utilising this same novel ibuprofen material.



David Norwood, Chairman, commented on behalf of the board:



"We would like to thank Nigel Theobald for his contribution to the Board, taking Oxford Pharmascience through the initial development of the business including its admission to AIM and evolution into a specialty pharmaceutical company. We wish him all the best with his new ventures."



Marcelo Bravo, Chief Executive, Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc, commented:



"We have come a long way with Oxford Pharmascience yet this is only the beginning. I look forward to significant growth in the years ahead as our pipeline goes commercial.



We have completed our transformation into a specialty pharmaceutical company and through our lead safer NSAIDs programme we are poised to revolutionise this vast drug class. 2014 is a pivotal year in which we will be advancing our development programme as well as initiating commercial efforts behind the ibuprofen products as well as other NSAIDs that will soon follow."

THE BIG PICTURE - Oxford Pharmascience at inflection point as it moves towards commercialising pipeline

By Giles Gwinnett

March 05 2014, 1:05pm

So what will 2014 bring? The main focus will be on fast-tracking its NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) portfolio to market, while it continues to advance its statin programme


Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) is now at an 'inflection point' as it moves towards commercialising its drug pipeline.

Unveiling a solid set of 2013 results on Wednesday, the specialist in re-developing medicines to make them safer and easier to take, told investors its transformation into a specialty pharma group was now complete.

Part of that evolution has involved a shuffling within the organisation. It has hired heads of both clinical management and supply development as well as establishing a scientific advisory board.

The latest strand of the strategy has seen chief executive Nigel Theobald replaced at the helm by founder and previous chief technological officer Marcelo Bravo.

Theobald is to pursue other interests but will assist in supporting thedevelopment of the over the counter (OTC) business.

So what will 2014 bring? The main focus will be on fast-tracking its NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) portfolio to market, while it continues to advance its statin programme.

The firm has highlighted that two successful fundraisings in 2013 for £9 mln had strengthened its balance sheet and allowed it to expand that NSAID pipeline to now include naproxen, aspirin and diclofenac, alongside its ongoing work using the firm's technology in delivering ibuprofen.

Oxford is also now moving to clinical pilot testing of its Rx 'Safer Ibuprofen' tablet as well as completion of development of two or three non-tablet Ibuprofen OTC forms.

It is also proceeding to the first in-human proof-of-concept tests of colon delivery of statins which is planned for late in the second quarter.

New chief executive Bravo told Proactive how Theobald had been the "perfect" CEO for the initial stages of the company and the latest move was a natural evolution for an emerging company.

"We were still establishing what we were all about. Also, we were very focused on innovation in over the counter. That's Nigel's background," he said.

"In the past 18 months or so we have completely transformed the company so we're becoming a specialty technology pharmaceutical company bringing cutting edge pharmaceutical technology to solve big problems in patient care."

Oxford has outlined how its strong cash position allows it to get products through to the dossier stage.

These are the reports into a drug and are vital in then licensing the products to major pharma firms, which can then get their own marketing authorisations in various countries.

House broker N+1 Singer is upbeat about the group's prospects, in a note to clients on Wednesday, it said: "Proof of concept clinical trials for the first of the group’s NSAID products has been approved and we anticipate others to follow within the next 12 months.

"We believe that not only is the group’s potential in the NSAID field enticing but also within the Statin programme which continues to advance. We remain positive about the group and have confidence in its ability in the re-formulation space."

The broker puts an intrinsic value on the group of 11.4 pence a share - which is around 165% increase on its current share price.

The full year results to end December last week showed group revenue at 1mln - 121% greater than in 2012 mainly driven by sales of its calcium chews.

The operating loss of £1.56mln (2012: loss of £0.82m) reflected a planned increase in research & development (R&D) spend, the company said.

Shares are unchanged today at 4.30p.

Initiation of Pilot Clinical Study

RNS


RNS Number : 8811B

Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC

10 March 2014






Oxford Pharmascience Group plc

("Oxford Pharmascience" or the "Company")

Oxford Pharmascience Announces Initiation of Pilot Clinical Study of OXP001 (Reduced Gastric Irritation Ibuprofen)



Oxford Pharmascience, the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, today announces that dosing of subjects in its pilot clinical study of OXP001 400mg Ibuprofen has begun. OXP001 delivers 400mg of ibuprofen via the company's OXPzero™ technology in a novel salt oral formulation and it aims to provide significantly reduced risks of gastrointestinal (GI) side effects for use in the treatment of conditions requiring the chronic use of Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs).



The randomised, controlled pilot study - which is being conducted at a single site in the UK - is a two arm study between OXP001 and the reference Ibuprofen 400mg tablets. The purpose of the study is to assess the incidence of upper gastrointestinal irritation via endoscopy using a modified Lanza score. Further details about the study can be found at www.ClinicalTrials.gov.



NSAIDs are one of the most widely used classes of drugs, with more than 30 million users worldwide consuming NSAIDs each day. However, chronic use of NSAIDs causes well documented GI side effects including ulcers and bleeding and leads to significant morbidity and mortality in many patients.



Marcelo Bravo, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Pharmascience commented:



"The development of GI safer NSAIDs is a key priority for Oxford Pharmascience and it is a great achievement for the Company to have reached this milestone. The study will provide the data that will allow Oxford Pharmascience to proceed with confidence to late Phase III pivotal trials for its reduced gastric irritation ibuprofen product as well as further potential NSAIDs in our pipeline."

Appointment of Director of Research & Development
RNS
RNS Number : 4032C
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
17 March 2014



Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc



("Oxford Pharmascience" or the "Company")



Appointment of Director of Research & Development





Oxford Pharmascience, the speciality pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, today announces it has appointed Dr. Liz King as Director of Research & Development to manage all of the Company's development activities. Liz will be responsible for leading and executing the company's development programme focused on the company's two main medicines reformulation programmes in NSAIDs and Statins with reduced side effects. Liz will be a non-board member of the Oxford Pharmascience management team reporting to Marcelo Bravo, Chief Executive Officer.

Dr. Liz King has a comprehensive background in the pharmaceutical industry and in-depth experience of pharmaceutical drug development within the EU and US from the discovery phase through to registration and life-cycle management. Liz has managed multi-functional, international teams, defined and implemented drug development strategies and plans, led due diligence activities, submitted orphan drug applications, managed strategic alliances, participated in FDA and EU regulatory agency meetings and overseen global licence conformance programmes. Liz also has experience of pharmaceutical sciences, technology transfer and business development. Liz has a PhD from the University of Cambridge on polymer science and has worked at Pfizer, Shire Pharmaceuticals, ProStrakan, Mitovie and Pharmalink Consulting.



"I am delighted Dr. Liz King is joining Oxford Pharmascience at this crucial point as we advance a broad pipeline of products into market. Liz is a perfect fit for Oxford PharmaScience with her background in both big Pharma and experience of small, lean organisations. The appointment of Dr. King represents a substantial strengthening of our management team as we continue to move Oxford Pharmascience to a new level of development and performance."

Director Deals - Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC (OXP)
BFN
Dave Norwood, Chairman, bought 1,000,000 shares in the company on the 25th March 2014 at a price of 4.30p. The Director now holds 105,938,633 shares.

Story provided by StockMarketWire.com
Director deals data provided by www.directorsholdings.com

Having a look at this one.

For a share that usually ticks along quietly this suddenly seems to have put a spurt on this week and it's surely not just from the Chairman's buy announced on the 25th. News in the pipeline, or has it been tipped somewhere?

Plenty of strength here could be news soon.

Perhaps news of the trials, as detailed in the 10th March RNS, are going well ? Potentially a huge market for this company - "30 million users worldwide consuming NSAIDs each day".

Tipped in yesterdays FT a 9p target price apparently.

90 million shares traded today.

One very large trade early this afternoon in that volume mitzy - 89,412,584 @ 5.55p.

Noticed that doodlebug.

That's mine. :-))

CEO Showcasing Ibuprofen Taste Masked Products

RNS


RNS Number : 2019E

Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC

08 April 2014










Oxford Pharmascience Group plc

("Oxford Pharmascience" or the "Company")



CEO Showcasing Ibuprofen Taste Masked Products





Oxford Pharmascience, the AIM-quoted specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, today announces that CEO Marcelo Bravo will be showcasing for the first time its taste masked Ibuprofen OTC products which use the Company's proprietary delivery platform OXPzeroTM. Mr. Bravo will also be giving an overview of the Company and its programmes at the Proactive Investors One2One Investor Forum in London on 10th April at 6pm at Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel, 35 Charles Street, Mayfair, W1J 5EB.

A copy of the presentation given will be made available on the Company's website after the event. Oxford Pharmascience has a diverse pipeline spanning pain relief (Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs or NSAIDs) and cardiovascular disease (Atorvastatin) indications with products aimed at both over-the-counter ("OTC") and prescription ("Rx") markets. The Company has two lead products that is beginning to commercialise this year, specifically a 200mg/5ml Ibuprofen suspension and 200mg soft 'gummie', both aimed at the OTC paediatrics market. These are the first products of their kind, completely taste and burn free. The Company is now establishing product supply both in Europe and North America with the aim of conducting preregistration bioequivalence trials of final versions of these products in early 2015. In parallel, the company is progressing its programmes in safer NSAIDs and safer statins as well as further NSAID OTC products.

NSAIDs and statins are some of the most widely used classes of drugs with known problems that affect patient adherence and ultimate therapeutic outcomes. The Company's portfolio addresses major unmet patient needs with significant commercial potential in global markets.

Marcelo Bravo, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Pharmascience commented:

"I look forward to showcasing for the first time the lead products that Oxford Pharmascience is beginning to commercialise this year. We believe that our completely taste masked "burn free" high dose ibuprofen suspension and soft gummies are disruptive products in their category and signal Oxford Pharmascience's entrance in to the medicines market".

The marketing campaign about to start this week.

Up 10% today.

Nice chunky buy at 5.6p just gone through.

Is ibuprofen making us sick? Research suggests it may cause gut conditions such as coeliac disease

Taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is linked to coeliac disease
They can cause intestinal inflammation and make intestines too permeable
This can allow gluten to leak out of the intestines and into the bloodstream

It can trigger an autoimmune response by the immune system

In people prone to coeliac disease, this can cause the condition to develop


ByEmma Innes

Published: 10:43, 22 April 2014 | Updated: 11:38, 22 April 2014

Taking ibuprofen is linked to the development of coeliac disease, research suggests

When people have a headache, their first reaction is often to pop a couple of painkillers.


These drugs have become such a big part of everyday life that few people even consider whether there are likely to be any ill effects from their regular use.

In fact, ibuprofen is well known for irritating the gut and can cause stomach ulcers.

And now, research suggests ibuprofen could be linked to the development of coeliac disease.


A review of the last 20 years of research into non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, suggests that the drugs are linked to ‘leaky gut syndrome’ meaning the walls of the intestines become more permeable, The Daily Beast reports.


And, a National Institutes of Health study supported this theory by revealing that NSAIDs can cause intestinal inflammation and increase the permeability of the intestines.


The intestinal inflammation and permeability caused by NSAIDs is problematic because it allows toxic substances to leak into the bloodstream.


When this happens, an autoimmune response can be triggered which prevents digestion and effective absorption of nutrients, the researchers say.


When the gut is more permeable than it should be, it also allows gluten to leak out.


In people who have a predisposition to coeliac disease, the researchers believe this can lead to adverse reactions to gluten.


Coeliac disease is a common digestive condition which occurs when a person has an adverse reaction to gluten.


In these people, eating foods containing gluten can trigger a range of symptoms.

Gluten is found in pasta, cakes, cereal, bread, some sauces and some ready meals.

The painkiller can cause the intestines to become inflamed and too permeable meaning gluten leaks out



These include diarrhoea, bloating and flatulence, abdominal pain, weight loss and tiredness.

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition - this is where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue.

Dr Alessio Fasano, director of the Center for Celiac Research at Massachusetts General Hospital, told The Daily Beast: ‘From what we understand, [with NSAIDs] one of the side effects is that they can affect the permeability of the gut.


‘Now, you have increased passage of gluten, and if you are genetically predisposed, you can develop coeliac or gluten-intolerance.’


The situation is thought to be worst for people who take the painkillers after exercising.

If gluten leaks out of the intestines it can trigger an autoimmune response associated with the development of coeliac disease. People with coeliac disease can't eat products containing gluten, such as pasta and bread



Another study, published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise, revealed NSAIDs can also cause intestinal damage when they are taken after exercise.

This causes damage to the surface of the intestines reducing their ability to absorb nutrients.


There is no cure for coeliac disease but switching to a gluten-free diet can help control symptoms and prevent long-term complications.


In the long-term, if it is not managed, the condition can cause anaemia, osteoporosis and even bowel cancer.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2610158/Is-ibuprofen-making-sick-Research-suggests-cause-coeliac-disease.html#ixzz2zd12YS73

Holding(s) in Company

Invesco Limited disposed of 294,266,667 29% to a 0 holding.


http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=4807719

Positive Results from Pilot Clinical Study
RNS
RNS Number : 5563I
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
02 June 2014



Oxford Pharmascience Group plc
("Oxford Pharmascience" or the "Company")

Positive Results from Pilot Clinical Study of OXP001
(Reduced Gastric Irritation Ibuprofen)

Oxford Pharmascience, the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, today announces the positive results of its proof of concept clinical study to determine the extent of upper gastrointestinal irritation of the OXP001 400mg tablet compared with the Brufen 400mg (Ibuprofen) tablet by endoscopic evaluation. Further details are included below and more information can be found at www.ClinicalTrials.gov.

HIGHLIGHTS

· Significantly less gastrointestinal irritation after administration of OXP001 compared to Ibuprofen

· Primary and secondary trial endpoints met

· Minor optimisation work required to OXP001 tablet to achieve bioequivalence compared to reference

· Results allow the company to proceed with confidence to phase III clinical trial

· Results validate the OXPzeroTM platform technology, giving confidence to continue development programmes with other NSAIDs.



The primary endpoint of the study was a comparison of the overall Lanza score (a rating score of gastrointestinal irritation on endoscopic evaluation) in the stomach and duodenum. The reduction in mean Lanza scores for OXP001 versus Ibuprofen was 0.9 (p=0.007).

The secondary endpoints included a comparison of the number of erosions observed separately in the stomach and duodenum. The result of the trial showed that OXP001 was associated with significantly fewer erosions: the OXP001 arm displayed 73% (p=0.007) fewer erosions in the stomach and 89% (p=0.020) fewer in the duodenum.

The pharmacokinetic data obtained from the study indicated that while 65% of OXP001 subjects had comparable absorption to Brufen, OXP001 achieved a smaller average dose of Ibuprofen absorbed (approx. 76%). An average in the 80-125% range is required to achieve bioequivalence. Minor optimisation work on the tablet formulation is required before proceeding to final larger scale pivotal phase III trials. This work has already been initiated and is expected to be completed imminently.

Marcelo Bravo, Chief Executive Officer commented:

"Oxford Pharmascience is very encouraged by the positive results of this proof of concept study in humans showing significant reduction in gastrointestinal irritation of OXP001 compared to Ibuprofen.

Gastrointestinal side effects are a major risk affecting patients taking NSAIDs and reducing these effects is a major step in improving patient safety, quality of care and reducing the cost of care. Following tablet optimisation, the Company looks forward to proceeding with confidence to pivotal trials for our reduced gastric irritation Ibuprofen. In conjunction with this, Oxford Pharmascience continues to advance development to apply this exciting technology to other commonly used NSAIDs including Naproxen, Diclofenac and Aspirin, which represent further substantial opportunities."

Dr Stuart Mair, Medical Director at Quotient Clinical and Principal Investigator, commented:

"These results are potentially meaningful in a clinical context representing an improved safety profile."

Further information to the trial and the OXP001 pilot study results

NSAIDs are one of the most widely used classes of drugs, with more than 30 million users worldwide consuming NSAIDs each day (1). However, use of NSAIDs causes well documented gastrointestinal effects, including erosions, bleeding and ulcers, and leads to significant morbidity, mortality and economic healthcare burden (2)(3).

OXP001 delivers 400mg of Ibuprofen per tablet via the Company's OXPzero™ technology in a novel salt oral formulation. OXP001 aims to provide significantly reduced risks of gastrointestinal damage for use in the treatment of conditions requiring continued use of prescription dose Ibuprofen.

The two arm proof of concept trial included 43 healthy adult participants: one arm administered with OXP001 and the other Ibuprofen (day 1: Single dose 800mg, days 2-8: 800mg three times daily - total daily dose 2400mg). Participants underwent endoscopy evaluation in advance of day 1 and on day 9 to establish the resulting gastrointestinal effects.

In this pilot study OXP001 exhibited significantly lower incidence of gastrointestinal irritation compared to Brufen with study data showing statistically significant differences between OXP001 and Ibuprofen in primary and secondary endpoints, both in Lanza scores and in the number of gastrointestinal erosions. Specifically, following dosing for seven days and with patients being assessed via endoscopic evaluation, the difference in mean Lanza scores for OXP001 versus Ibuprofen was 0.9 (p=0.007) with the median number of erosions 73% (p=0.007) lower in the stomach and 89% (p=0.020) lower in the duodenum.

The pharmacokinetic data showed a different drug release profile for OXP001 compared to the Ibuprofen reference, including slower drug release and some OXP001 subjects showing lower bioavailability. However, analysis of the data from this study shows no relationship between the drug release profile and the amount of gastric irritation. Specifically there is no correlation between the standard pharmacokinetic parameters tested - peak plasma concentration, area under the concentration-time curve, time to peak plasma concentration and concentration half-life - and gastric irritation and analysis of the comparable subgroup confirm the positive effect of the OXP technology on gastric irritation compared to Ibuprofen. Based on in-vitro testing, the pharmacokinetic behaviour of OXP001 is believed to be due to slow tablet disintegration. Accordingly, Oxford Pharmascience is initiating tablet optimisation work to ensure bioequivalence to the reference Brufen 400mg tablet. The Company will be validating an optimised tablet via a further pharmacokinetic and gastric irritation study, expected to conclude in the coming months, before proceeding to larger scale pivotal trials in line with previous guidance.

References:
(1) Evaluate Pharma

(2) Guidelines for prevention of NSAID-related ulcer complications, Lanza et al., Am J Gastroenterol. 2009 Mar;104
(3):728-38. doi:10.1038/ajg.2009.115 .

(3) The economics of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in a US managed-care setting: a retrospective, claims-based analysis, Cryer et al., Journal of Medical Economics, 2010; 13(1): 70-77

Chew Product - Line Extension

RNS


RNS Number : 7534J

Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC

17 June 2014






Oxford Pharmascience Group plc
("Oxford Pharmascience" or "the Company")
Chew Product - Line Extension

Oxford Pharmascience, the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, today announces that it has agreed a line extension in Brazil with its partner Aché Pharmaceuticos (Aché) for a new version of its calcium and vitamin D chew marketed under the brand name Inellare.

Sales to Aché of this new format are expected to begin in Q3 2014 for launch in Brazil later this year.

Marcelo Bravo, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Pharmascience commented,

"The Inellare calcium and vitamin D product continues to consolidate its presence in the Brazilian market and we are working closely with our partner Ache Laboratorios to provide them with further innovative extensions to their product range. We look forward to continue building the OXPChew business in Brazil and elsewhere as opportunities arise."

Progression of Reduced Gastric Irritation Naproxen

RNS


RNS Number : 6058R

Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC

15 September 2014






Oxford Pharmascience Group plc

("Oxford Pharmascience" or the "Company")



Oxford Pharmascience Announces Progression
of Reduced Gastric Irritation Taste Masked Naproxen



Oxford Pharmascience, the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, today announces that it has successfully synthesised reduced gastric irritation taste masked naproxen at lab scale and is progressing to manufacturing scale-up and clinical proof of concept.

In June this year, the Company announced the positive results of its pilot clinical study of reduced gastric irritation ibuprofen and that it would advance development to apply this exciting technology to other commonly used Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). Following these encouraging results, the Company has accelerated the application of the technology to the four most commonly used NSAIDs, aiming to take naproxen, diclofenac and aspirin forward alongside ibuprofen.

The Company's novel salt of naproxen aims to provide significantly reduced risks of gastrointestinal (GI) side effects for use in the treatment of conditions requiring the chronic use of NSAIDs and is also completely taste masked allowing the formulation of "burn-free" non-tablet forms. This reflects the Company's ability to improve the properties of commonly used medicines. The synthesis of reduced gastric irritation naproxen also represents encouraging, early stage confirmation that these improvements can be applied to other drugs in the same class. NSAIDs are one of the most widely used classes of drugs, with more than 30 million users worldwide consuming NSAIDs each day. However, chronic use of NSAIDs causes well documented GI side effects including ulcers and bleeding and leads to significant morbidity and mortality in many patients. Ibuprofen, naproxen and diclofenac are the most commonly used drugs for pain and inflammation and aspirin is widely used as an antiplatelet agent.

Marcelo Bravo, Chief Executive Officer, commented:

"Oxford Pharmascience has made great progress applying its technology to other NSAIDs and we are excited by the progression of naproxen into scale-up and readiness for further Proof of Concept evaluation. Diclofenac and aspirin are expected to follow closely behind. We believe that moving forward with the four main NSAIDs in parallel represents a more compelling proposition for adding further shareholder value, as it increases the potential licensing scope and value of applying our technology across multiple products in the anti-inflammatory pain relief category.

"We are now prioritising our work to demonstrate that reduced gastric irritation is a class effect for NSAIDS formulated using our technology and also to establish comparable absorption vs. standard (generic) ibuprofen and naproxen. Our aim is build a robust clinical data package to enable the commercialisation of a number of NSAID assets in 2015 and beyond."

Interim results for the six months to 30 June 2014

HIGHLIGHTS

• Positive results of pilot clinical study to determine the extent of upper gastrointestinal irritation of the Company's OXP001 400mg ibuprofen tablet compared with standard ibuprofen by endoscopic evaluation, with optimisation work required to achieve bioequivalence.



• As well as ibuprofen, we now expect the platform will deliver across the vast non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) category gastric safer naproxen, diclofenac and potentially aspirin.



• Refocusing of activities to fine tune the release properties of the NSAID technology and validate its application across the four most commonly used NSAIDs.



• Recent work on NSAIDs has created further opportunities to strengthen the Company's intellectual property across the NSAIDs platform.



• Cash and cash equivalents at 30 June 2014of £8.2m (2013: £6.6m, 31 December 2013: £9.9m.).



• Loss before tax for the period of £1.7m (2013 loss before tax: £0.6m), reflecting scale-up of the NSAIDs programme



http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=4893442

Optimisation of OXP001 & progression to study
RNS
RNS Number : 5780B
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
08 January 2015



Oxford Pharmascience Group plc

("Oxford Pharmascience" or the "Company")

Successful optimisation of OXPZeroTM Ibuprofen (OXP001) and progression to pilot clinical study



Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc (AIM: OXP), the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, today announces the successful optimisation of OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen (OXP001) to deliver a product offering immediate release of the drug and the appointment of a clinical research organisation (CRO) to conduct a further clinical proof-of-concept study for this product.

Highlights

· OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen successfully optimised to deliver an immediate release product that demonstrated in vitro equivalence to standard Brufen (Ibuprofen)

· Appointment of UK based Quotient Clinical to perform clinical proof-of-concept study to confirm significantly less gastrointestinal (GI) irritation observed in earlier study

· Preliminary study results expected mid 2015

In June 2014, the Company announced the positive results of its proof-of-concept clinical study to determine the extent of upper GI tract irritation of the 400mg OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen tablet (OXP001) compared to the standard 400mg Brufen (Ibuprofen) tablet. The results showed significantly less GI irritation after administration of OXP001 compared to standard Ibuprofen, but that minor optimisation work was required to ensure bioequivalence of OXP001 vs. Brufen.

The Company has now successfully optimised both the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and the formulation, developing an immediate release product that achieves comparable in vitro drug release to the Ibuprofen reference. The Company is now proceeding to conduct a proof-of-concept clinical study with the optimised product.

The Company has appointed Quotient Clinical to conduct the upcoming study with OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen in the United Kingdom. This is the same CRO that conducted the proof-of-concept clinical study in 2014. The study for OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen has already received ethics committee approval and is expected to begin in Q2 2015 with headline PK data expected by mid-2015 and headline endoscopy data expected in Q3 2015. Further details will be provided in the coming weeks.

The optimisation work and progression to clinical study is a key milestone in the Company's programme to develop a range of prescription and over-the-counter strength non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), as well gastric safe taste-masked paediatric formulations and will provide the Company with the data required to provide a robust data package to initiate the commercialisation of these clinical stage assets.

Development work on the Company's other OXPzeroTM NSAID molecules (naproxen, diclofenac and aspirin) is continuing and Oxford Pharmascience expects to update the market regarding these molecules in the coming weeks.

NSAIDs are one of the most widely used classes of drugs, with more than 30 million users worldwide consuming NSAIDs each day with combined annual sales in excess of $12 billion (source: Evaluate Pharma). However, chronic use of NSAIDs causes well documented GI side effects including ulcers and bleeding and leads to significant morbidity and mortality in many patients. The OXPzeroTM platform technology reduces these risks and is being selectively applied to the most commonly used molecules in the NSAID category, namely ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac and aspirin, to maximise both the significant health benefits to users and the capture of commercial value for the Company over the medium term. Ibuprofen, naproxen and diclofenac are the most commonly used drugs for pain and inflammation (accounting for 76% of chronic pain prescriptions in the US and Europe in 2013) and aspirin is widely used as an antiplatelet agent. Ibuprofen accounts for approximately 35 per cent or $4 billion of the $12 billion annual sales value of NSAIDs (source: Evaluate Pharma).



Marcelo Bravo, Chief Executive Officer, commented:

"Clinical evidence to demonstrate bioequivalence and confirm the significant reduction in gastrointestinal irritation observed in the earlier study for our optimised OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen, compared to standard Ibuprofen, will represent a further major milestone for the Company. Gastric safe NSAIDs are a major commercial opportunity and we believe we are well placed to start seeking partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies during 2015. The Company is now poised to begin realising significant value from the OXPzero TM platform as further data emerges during 2015 and beyond."

You've shown great patience with this one dc and I'm sure it will be worth it in the end - certainly heading in the right direction.:-)

I hope so :-)) Cheers doodlebug

Naproxen Progresses into Proof of Concept Trials
RNS
RNS Number : 5689C
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
20 January 2015



Oxford Pharmascience Group plc

("Oxford Pharmascience" or the "Company")

Naproxen Progresses into Proof of Concept Trials

2nd OXPzeroTM NSAID molecule to enter PoC studies in man



Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc(AIM: OXP), the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, today announces the successful development of an immediate release clinical formulation of OXPzero™ Naproxen, which has been accelerated to clinical proof-of-concept with subject dosing planned to start during Q1 2015.

Highlights

• Successful development of immediate release clinical formulation of OXPzero™ Naproxen that demonstrated in vitro equivalence to standard naproxen tablets



• Appointment of Quotient Clinical to conduct two clinical proof-of-concept studies, which aim to demonstrate (1) a comparable pharmacokinetic (PK) profile and 2) reduced gastrointestinal (GI) side effects of OXPzero™ Naproxen versus standard naproxen tablets (the "PoC Studies")



• Headline PK results expected by the end of Q1 2015, and headline endoscopy data expected in Q2 2015

Following the September 2014 announcement that the Company had successfully synthesised OXPzero™Naproxen at lab scale, the Company is pleased to announce that an immediate release clinical formulation has been successfully developed. Final preparations are being made to progress this programme through the two PoC Studies, with the ethics committee application and the MHRA clinical trial application already submitted.

The Company has appointed UK-based Quotient Clinical as its clinical partner to run these PoC Studies (as well as the recently announced OXPzero™ ibuprofen study), using its in-house formulation development, GMP manufacturing and clinical facilities. The PoC Studies aim to demonstrate (1) a comparable PK profile of 250 mg OXPzero™ Naproxen tablets to 250 mg Naprosyn (standard naproxen) tablets and (2) proof-of-concept of reduced GI side effects compared to Naprosyn tablets.

Headline PK results are expected by the end of Q1 2015 with headline endoscopy data expected in Q2 2015. Further details on these trials will be provided in the coming weeks.

NSAIDs are one of the most widely used classes of drugs, with more than 30 million users worldwide consuming NSAIDs each day and combined annual sales in excess of $12 billion (source: Evaluate Pharma). However, chronic use of NSAIDs causes well-documented GI side effects, including ulcers and bleeding, and leads to significant morbidity and mortality in many patients. The OXPzero™ platform technology reduces these risks and is being selectively applied to the most commonly used molecules in the NSAID category, namely ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac and aspirin, to maximise both the significant health benefits to users and the capture of commercial value for the company over the medium term. Ibuprofen, naproxen and diclofenac are the most commonly used drugs for pain and inflammation (accounting for 76 % of chronic pain prescriptions in the US and Europe in 2013) and aspirin is widely used as an antiplatelet agent. Naproxen accounts for approximately 7% or c. $815 million of the $12 billion annual sales value of NSAIDs (source: Evaluate Pharma).

Marcelo Bravo, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Pharmascience, commented:

"The progression to proof of concept studies for naproxen brings the Company significantly closer to proving that the OXPzero™ proprietary platform technology can be applied across a range of molecules in the vast NSAIDs market, and to providing a robust data package to support the commercialisation of our NSAID clinical stage assets. Naproxen alongside ibuprofen are two of the most widely used NSAIDs in both over-the-counter and prescription markets, and advancing these two lead programmes in parallel significantly strengthens our commercial profile and offering. Gastric-safe NSAIDs are a major opportunity and the Company is poised to begin realising significant value from this during 2015 and beyond."

Mark Egerton, CEO of Quotient Clinical, added: "Using our Translational Pharmaceutics platform, we enable companies like Oxford Pharmascience to conduct clinical proof-of-concept studies faster and more effectively, by providing access to formulation development, real-time manufacturing and clinical testing capabilities at a single site,. We look forward to applying our unique approach to Oxford Pharmascience's OXP ZeroTM Naproxen and Ibuprofen studies."

UPDATE - Oxford Pharma funded for NSAIDs development programme

By Philip Whiterow

January 30 2015, 2:11pm
Cash at end December was £6.7mln, which is enough to fund confirmatory proof-of-poncept (POC) studies on Ibuprofen and Naproxen formulations.
Cash at end December was £6.7mln, which is enough to fund confirmatory proof-of-poncept (POC) studies on Ibuprofen and Naproxen formulations.


--adds broker comment, updates share price--

Oxford Pharmasciences (LON:OXP) will start to look for a partner for its NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) platform in the second half of this year.

The company specialises in the reformulation of popular drugs such as Ibuprofen to make them easier to take with fewer side effects.

It said cash at end-December was £6.7mln, which is enough to fund confirmatory proof-of-concept (POC) studies on Ibuprofen and Naproxen formulations currently underway.

Data on tolerance and safety (PK) is expected by mid-2015 for the ibuprofen drug with headline endoscopy data due in the third quarter.

First results for the Naproxen reformulation are expected slightly earlier, with PK results expected this quarter and endoscopy results the quarter following.

Assuming successful outcomes, partnering discussions will begin during the second half 2015.

Its own internal models suggest every 1% of current market sales captured for its versions of Ibuprofen and Naproxen could equate to US$26m in retail sales and US$23m in research markets respectively.

Oxford added it is also in the early formulation stage of developing an Aspirin product that also uses its OXPZero platform.

The emphasis on research and development of NSAIDs products will mean losses in 2014 will be £3.5mln on revenues of £0.7mln.

Broker N+1 singer took bullish view on the group’s NSAID offering.

"NSAIDs represent one of the most widely used drug classes in the world, but their use is associated with gastrointestinel side effects.

"The group’s technology could potentially offer patients NSAIDs with an improved safety profile and there is enormous potential for OXP to exploit its reformulation expertise in what promises to be year of significant news flow."

Shares climbed 4% to 4.2p

Amazing chart.

Final Results & Notice of AGM
RNS
RNS Number : 5882G
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
05 March 2015

Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc

("Oxford Pharmascience" or the "Company")

Results for the Year Ended 31 December 2014 and Notice of AGM



Oxford Pharmascience (AIM: OXP), the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, today announces its results for the year ended 31 December 2014 and gives notice of its AGM to be held on 24 June 2015 at 2.00pm at the offices of Fasken Martineau LLP, Third Floor, 17 Hanover Square, London, W1S 1HU. The Report and Accounts and Notice of AGM will today be posted to shareholders.



OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

· Lead gastric safe NSAIDs programme broadened to include OXPzeroTM Naproxen, Diclofenac and Aspirin, as well as Ibuprofen

· Successful optimisation of the OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen to enable immediate release formulations and to solve drug release issues

· Clear commercialisation strategy with Proof-of-Concept clinical trials for OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen and Naproxen planned for 2015

· Strengthening of the Board with the recruitment of John Goddard and Karl Van Horn. Both individuals bring significant experience and expertise to the Board.



FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

· Cash and cash equivalents balances of £6.7m as at 31 December 2014, providing sufficient working capital to take the Company to commercial inflection points in 2015 and beyond

· Operating loss of £3.50m (2013: £1.56m) reflecting a planned increase in R&D spend, primarily on the NSAIDs programme



Marcelo Bravo, Chief Executive, Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc, commented:

"We finish 2014 with sharp focus on our lead 'gastric safe' non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) programme which is redeveloping the most widely used NSAIDs, ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac and aspirin to make them significantly milder in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. We believe that the Group is firmly on track to achieve the clinical milestones it has set out for 2015 and the Board believes that the Group is well placed to deliver significant shareholder value should the results of trials be as expected."

UPDATE - Oxford Pharmascience shares rise as drug study gets underway

By Jamie Ashcroft

March 05 2015, 3:40pm
City broker N+1 said it was upbeat about Oxford Pharmascience and the company’s ability to exploit its re-formulation expertise.




Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP) shares shot up 18% as a study began, and the company revealed full year results in-line with expectations.

The novel drug delivery specialist, which aims to make medicines safer and easier to take, told investors human dosing is now underway in the comparative pharmacokinetic study.

Its candidate OXPzero Naproxen is being compared to Naprosyn, and the study aims to demonstrate bioequivalence.

Patent protected OXPzero Naproxen is an immediate release oral formulation which aims to provide significantly reduced risks of gastrointestinal (GI) side effects compared to standard naproxen tablets.

“The naproxen study builds on the successful GI irritation reduction results seen last year with our OXPzero Ibuprofen product and aims to demonstrate that the OXPzeroTM technology can also be tuned to enable immediate release,” said chief executive Marcelo Bravo.

“Completion of the PK study will allow Oxford Pharmascience to proceed with an endoscopy trial to demonstrate the gastric irritation reduction benefit is also obtained with naproxen."

Separately, for the twelve months to December 31, the company reported a £3.50mln operating loss, compared from £1.56mln last year. The increased loss was the result of higher research and development spending.

OXP had £6.7mln of cash and equivalents at the end of 2014, which the company says is sufficient working capital to commercial inflection points in 2015.

City broker N+1 said it was upbeat about Oxford Pharmascience and the company’s ability to exploit its re-formulation expertise.

The broker also predicted 2015 promises to be a year of significant news flow.

In London, OXP shares gained 1.12p or 17.79% to trade at 7.45p.

As of last trade Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC (OXP:LSE) traded at 7.90, 0.00% below its 52-week high of 7.90, set on Mar 05, 2015

Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC (OXP:LSE) set a new 52-week high during today's trading session when it reached 8.48. Over this period, the share price is up 93.83%.

Successful Pilot Clinical Study
RNS
RNS Number : 6350I
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
27 March 2015

Successful Pilot Clinical Study of
Immediate Release OXPzero™ Naproxen



Oxford Pharmascience, the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, today announces that the pilot comparative pharmacokinetics ("PK") study of OXPzero™ Naproxen ("OXP 005"), which commenced on 5 March, has been successful and the headline data from the trial demonstrates bioequivalence of OXP005 to Naprosyn® (generic naproxen).



OXPzero™ Naproxen aims to deliver 250mg of reduced gastric irritation naproxen via the Company's patent protected OXPzero™ technology in an immediate release oral formulation in order to provide a significantly reduced gastrointestinal (GI) side effect profile compared to standard naproxen tablets.



The headline PK data showed results which demonstrate bioequivalence and that the OXPzero™technology has been successfully optimised to enable immediate and complete drug release.



Full results of the study will be published in the following weeks. Based on this data, the company will now progress to a proof of concept endoscopy study to demonstrate the reduced GI irritation benefit of OXPzero™ Naproxen, as was previously demonstrated for OXPzero™ Ibuprofen in an earlier formulation.



Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are one of the most widely used classes of drugs, with combined annual sales in excess of $12 billion and more than 30 million users worldwide consuming NSAIDs each day (source: Evaluate Pharma). Chronic use of NSAIDs causes well-documented GI side effects, including ulcers and bleeding, and leads to significant morbidity and mortality in a substantial number of patients, with significant associated healthcare costs. The OXPzero™ platform technology reduces these risks and is being selectively applied to the most commonly used NSAID molecules, namely ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac and aspirin.



Marcelo Bravo, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Pharmascience commented:



"Demonstrating the bioequivalence of immediate release OXPzero™ Naproxen is a great result and a significant milestone for Oxford Pharmascience. This allows us to proceed with confidence to the endoscopy trial to demonstrate the reduced gastric irritation benefit of OXPzero™ Naproxen, and also confirms that the technology has been successfully optimised to achieve immediate and complete drug release. Oxford Pharmascience will now continue to progress confidently with our clinical programmes for both OXPzero™ Naproxen and OXPzero™ Ibuprofen."



Further information about the study:



The randomised pilot PK study, which was conducted by Quotient Clinical in the UK, was a single-dose, two arm study between OXPzero™ Naproxen and the reference Naprosyn® 250mg tablets with ten subjects in each arm. Headline PK data show mean AUC (Area Under the Curve or total drug exposure over time) and mean Cmax (maximum serum concentration) results meet the bioequivalence criteria, demonstrating that the OXPzero™ technology has been successfully optimised to enable immediate and complete drug release. Further details about the study can be found at www.ClinicalTrials.gov, ref: NCT02351024.

Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC (OXP.GB:ISD) set a new 52-week high during today's trading session when it reached 10.19. Over this period, the share price is up 70.73%.

Been in since 1.27p , going well.

As of last trade, Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC (OXP:LSE) traded at 11.45, 257.81% above the 52 week low of 3.20 set on Dec 10, 2014.

PK Results for OXPzero Naproxen vs. Naprosyn
RNS
RNS Number : 9880M
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
13 May 2015

Oxford Pharmascience Group plc

("Oxford Pharmascience" or "the Company")



Pharmacokinetic (PK) Study Results
for OXPzero™ Naproxen vs. Naprosyn®



Oxford Pharmascience, the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, is pleased to announce the positive full results of the pilot comparative pharmacokinetic (PK) study for OXPzeroTM Naproxen (OXP005), which - based on mean values - demonstrates an immediate release profile and bioequivalence to standard US and EU naproxen treatment.



OXP005 delivers 250mg of reduced gastric irritation naproxen via the Company's patent protected OXPzero™ technology. The full results of the study follow on from the headline data previously announced on 27 March.



The two-arm, pilot PK study was conducted in 10 healthy adult participants with each subject receiving both the OXP005 and the Naprosyn® treatments in a crossover design. The PK data show that all subjects had equivalent absorption of naproxen from OXP005 and of Naprosyn®, as indicated by area under the curve (AUC), with OXP005 being 100.5% of that observed for Naprosyn®. Mean maximum concentrations (Cmax) were 82.8% of that observed with Naprosyn®. In addition, both the mean half-life, time to maximum concentration and time to first measurable naproxen levels for OXP005 were comparable to Naprosyn®.



The amount of naproxen contained within the OXP005 tablets used for the PK trial was slightly low at 95.5% of the target naproxen dose, due to low tablet weight. Adjusting the PK results to account for the actual naproxen dose in both products tested provides mean relative values for absorption (from the AUC measurements) and maximum concentration (Cmax) of 102.8% and 84.3% respectively. The mean values for AUC and Cmax are within the guidelines for bioequivalence (80.0 to 125.0%). The fully powered bioequivalence study in later development will be designed to show that the 90% confidence intervals also fall within these limits, as per the FDA and EU guidelines.



These pilot PK study results demonstrate that, based on mean values, OXP005 is bioequivalent to Naprosyn® and therefore the Company is progressing to a proof of concept endoscopy study comparing the extent of gastroduodenal irritation between the OXP005 and Naprosyn. Dosing for this study is on track to start imminently with approvals required for the study in place and potential study subjects identified.



Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are one of the most widely used classes of drugs, with more than 30 million users worldwide consuming NSAIDs each day and combined annual sales in excess of $12 billion (source: Evaluate Pharma). However, chronic use of NSAIDs causes well-documented gastrointestinal side effects, including ulcers and bleeding, and leads to significant morbidity and mortality in a substantial number of patients, with significant healthcare costs arising as a result of these side effects. The OXPzero™ platform technology reduces these risks and is being selectively applied to the most commonly used molecules in the NSAID category, namely ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac and aspirin.



Naproxen is an important NSAID with total sales of c $1bn at MSP (manufacturers' selling prices), mostly in North America.1 Naproxen was first approved for prescription use in the US in 1976 and was made available for OTC use as Aleve® (naproxen sodium 220 mg) in the US in 1994. Outside North America, naproxen is mostly used by prescription only. While naproxen has a somewhat higher risk of causing adverse GI effects as compared with ibuprofen2 it has some distinct advantages: Naproxen offers longer lasting relief and therefore requires less frequent dosing. Importantly, based on published analysis, naproxen is thought to have a reduced risk of cardiovascular events than all other NSAIDs3. It is therefore the preferred NSAID for long-term use in people with a high risk of cardiovascular complications4 and increasingly the preferred prescription option for patients with chronic conditions commonly treated with NSAIDs.





Marcelo Bravo, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Pharmascience commented:



"These pilot study results with OXP005 support further development of our gastric safe naproxen and support our vision to revolutionise the NSAID treatment market. We are advancing development of a new pain relief treatment option for patients that offers improved gastrointestinal safety over the well-known NSAIDs, leading with the NSAID offering the safest cardiovascular profile, naproxen."

Ibuprofen progressing to proof of concept trial
RNS
RNS Number : 2857N
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
15 May 2015



Chewable Form of OXPzero™ Ibuprofen progressing to Proof-of-Concept Clinical Trial



Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc (AIM: OXP), the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, today announces completion of the development of an immediate release, taste masked, chewable 400mg ibuprofen product that is now ready for clinical evaluation. OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen (OXP001) delivers 400mg of reduced gastric irritation ibuprofen via the Company's patent protected OXPzero™ technology.



In January 2015, the Company announced that OXPzero™ Ibuprofen had been successfully optimised to deliver an immediate release tablet that demonstrated in vitro equivalence to standard Brufen® (400mg Ibuprofen tablet) and that a proof-of-concept clinical study with the optimised tablet was expected to begin in Q2 2015.



The Company has now developed a chewable 400mg ibuprofen tablet that is not only expected to reduce the risk of GI irritation but also to taste mask the bitter taste of the ibuprofen via OXP's patent protected OXPzero™ technology. Patient compliance to long-term therapy for chronic illnesses is a key issue and is reported to be around only 50% in developed countries.1 Providing patients with a GI safe treatment option, delivered in an easier to take dosing mechanism is believed to be a significant advantage in the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) treatment arena. The Company believes this would lead to improved patient compliance amongst long-term usage patients.



The Company has now decided to proceed to a proof-of-concept clinical trial with the chewable tablet and is planning to begin dosing in July 2015 with headline pharmacokinetic data also expected in July 2015. Endoscopy data to prove the reduction in GI irritation is due to follow in late Q3/early Q4 2015.



NSAIDs are one of the most widely used classes of drugs, with combined annual sales in excess of $12bn2 and more than 30 million users worldwide consuming NSAIDs each day3. Chronic use of NSAIDs causes well-documented GI side effects, including ulcers and bleeding, and leads to significant morbidity and mortality in a substantial number of patients, with significant associated healthcare costs. The OXPzero™ platform technology reduces these risks and is being selectively applied to the most commonly used NSAID molecules, namely ibuprofen, naproxen and diclofenac for pain and inflammation and aspirin for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.



Ibuprofen is currently the dominant NSAID molecule in the pain relief and anti-inflammatory sector. Worldwide sales of Ibuprofen are in excess of $4bn per annum at manufacturers selling prices2. The Company hopes to provide the market with a much differentiated product, offering both a GI safer alternative to current NSAIDs and varied finished product forms to improve compliance rates.



Marcelo Bravo, Chief Executive Officer, commented:

"The development and progression of a chewable taste masked ibuprofen tablet to the clinic will not only provide the data to further confirm the GI irritation reduction benefit of the OXPzero™ technology but will also provide evidence in a clinical setting of its taste masking ability. Successful data from this study alongside data from OXPzero™ Naproxen will provide a robust data package moving forward into commercialisation of these assets."



Sources

1. WHO Report "Adherence to long-term therapies. Evidence for action. 2003.

2. Evaluate Pharma

3. Black Swan Analysis Ltd - Market Evaluation for OXPZero™ technology to improve compliance with leading NSAID brands, November 2013 (commissioned by OXP)

Initiation of Pilot Clinical Study for Naproxen
RNS
RNS Number : 4078N
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
18 May 2015

Oxford Pharmascience Group plc

("Oxford Pharmascience" or the "Company")

Initiation of Pilot Clinical Study
for Reduced Gastro-Intestinal Irritation Naproxen


Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc (AIM: OXP), the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, today announces the initiation of dosing in its pilot clinical study of 250mg OXPzeroTM Naproxen (OXP005). OXP005 uses Oxford Pharmascience's patented OXPzero™ technology in an immediate release oral formulation and aims to provide a significantly reduced gastrointestinal (GI) side effect profile compared to standard naproxen tablets.



Following on from the recent announcement of the successful proof-of-concept pharmacokinetic (PK) study, the Company is pleased to announce that it has progressed to an endoscopic evaluation study to prove the reduced GI irritation of OXP005. The purpose of this Phase I, randomised, controlled pilot study is to assess the severity of upper GI damage via endoscopic assessment following 7 days treatment of 1 g/day naproxen dosed as either OXP005 or Naprosyn®. Headline results are expected to be released in late Q2/early Q3 2015. Further details about the study can be found at www.ClinicalTrials.gov.



Naproxen currently has worldwide sales of c.$1bn1 and is one of the most important molecules in the NSAID category due to a number of factors:

· its pain relief and anti-inflammatory effect are longer lasting than other NSAID molecules allowing for less frequent dosing regimes, which aids patient compliance; and

· its use is also associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular complications compared to all other NSAIDs3. It is therefore the preferred NSAID for long-term use in people with a high risk of cardiovascular complications4.

However, the widespread use of Naproxen is hampered by the higher risk of GI irritation relative to Ibuprofen3. Accordingly, if GI irritation is reduced, OXP005 could provide a highly appealing combination of long lasting pain relief, lower cardiovascular risk profile and reduced GI irritation.



Marcelo Bravo, Chief Executive Officer, commented:

"The development of GI safer NSAIDs is a key priority for Oxford Pharmascience and we are very pleased to have commenced endoscopic evaluation of OXPzero™ Naproxen. Successful study data will confirm the results observed last year with OXPzero™ Ibuprofen demonstrating the class effect of the technology and putting the company in a strong position going into partnering discussions later this year."

NSAIDs are one of the most widely used classes of drugs, with combined annual sales in excess of $12bn1 and more than 30 million users worldwide consuming NSAIDs each day2. Chronic use of NSAIDs causes well-documented GI side effects, including ulcers and bleeding, and leads to significant morbidity and mortality in a substantial number of patients, with significant associated healthcare costs. The OXPzero™ platform technology reduces these risks and is being selectively applied to the most commonly used NSAID molecules, namely ibuprofen, naproxen and diclofenac for pain and inflammation and aspirin for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.



Sources

1. Evaluate Pharma

2. Black Swan Analysis Ltd - Market Evaluation for OXPZero™ technology to improve compliance with leading NSAID brands, November 2013 (commissioned by OXP)

3. Lancet. 2013 Aug 31; 382(9894): 769-779. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)60900-9

4. American College of Gastroenterology - Ulcers and Gastrointestinal Bleeding: Protecting Your Health

Proactive investor -Oxford Pharmascience (LON:OXP), down 8.4%. The shares slipped a penny to 10.875p after the company said it had raised £20mln by placing shares at 10p a pop.

Shares - Why Oxford Pharmascience wants £20m


Upgrades are on the way for drug re-developer Oxford Pharmascience (OXP:AIM) as it raises £20 million to hone its pipeline.

The £115.6 million cap sold 200 million shares at 10p each to institutions. The stock only falls 3.1% to 11.5p following the deal, despite the shares selling for a near 16% discount to Monday’s closing price.

Oxford initially targeted £5 million, but demand was high with investors backing the company’s story of taking approved drugs and removing their side effects or making them easier to take.

Shares can reveal that around half the shares were bought by star fund manager Neil Woodford, who topped up his existing stake in the business to more than 30%. While going over the 30%-mark this would normally spark a mandatory bid for the entire business, although the investment expert has applied for a waiver from this obligation.

Web - Oxford Pharmascience - 2 June 2015

The proceeds will be used to develop Oxford’s pipeline and investigate new therapeutic uses for its technology. The cash will also strengthen its hand during commercial negotiations.

The deal is conditional on a shareholder vote on 24 June, when analysts at broker N+1 Singer say they will update their forecasts.

The main beneficially of the placing will be Oxford’s OXPzero Aspirin painkiller for cardiovascular disease sufferers, which is being designed to reduce gastric irritation while removing its taste. Alongside development, money will be spent on manufacturing and clinical trials.

Developing its statin product is also on the agenda, while a version of an ibuprofen tablet is expected to generate clinical proof of reducing gastric irritation this year.

On Monday, Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC (OXP:LSE) closed at 13.38, 317.97% above the 52 week low of 3.20 set on Dec 10, 2014.

Superb chart.

Initiation of Pilot Clinical Study for Ibuprofen
RNS
RNS Number : 1411T
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
16 July 2015

Oxford Pharmascience Group plc

("Oxford Pharmascience" or the "Company")



Initiation of Pilot Clinical Study
for Reduced Gastro-Intestinal Irritation Ibuprofen



Oxford Pharmascience Group plc (AIM: OXP), the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, today announces the initiation of dosing in its second pilot clinical study of 400mg OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen (OXP001) to assess a comparable PK profile.



OXP001 is an optimised, chewable, 400mg ibuprofen tablet that is expected to reduce the risk of gastro-intestinal ("GI") irritation from the ibuprofen and to taste-mask its bitter taste via OXP's patent protected OXPzero™ technology. Patient compliance to long-term therapy for chronic illnesses is a key issue and is reported to be around only 50% in developed countries.1 Providing patients with a gastro-intestinally safe treatment option, delivered in an easier to take dosage form, is believed to be a significant advantage in the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) treatment arena. The Company believes this would lead to improved patient compliance amongst long-term usage patients.



Last year the Company announced results from the first pilot study with a non-optimised OXP001 tablet. Results showed a significant reduction in gastro-intestinal irritation with OXP001 compared to Brufen®, however the pharmacokinetic profile of OXP001 showed a slower and incomplete release of ibuprofen. The OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen and the tablet formulation have since been optimised to provide immediate and complete drug release in vitro. This second proof-of-concept study is designed to compare the pharmacokinetic profile of OXP001 immediate release tablets with generic Brufen®, and with a second stage of this trial to confirm the reduction in gastro-intestinal irritation as measured by endoscopy.



The Company also reports that headline data from the recently conducted pilot clinical study with OXPzeroTM Naproxen (OXP005) will be available by the end of July 2015. Further details will be published in due course.



NSAIDs are one of the most widely used classes of drugs, with combined annual sales in excess of $12bn2 and more than 30 million users worldwide consuming NSAIDs each day3. Ibuprofen is currently the dominant NSAID molecule in the pain relief and anti-inflammatory sector. Worldwide sales of Ibuprofen are in excess of $4bn per annum at manufacturers selling prices2. Chronic use of NSAIDs causes well-documented GI side effects, including ulcers and bleeding, and leads to significant morbidity and mortality in a substantial number of patients, with significant associated healthcare costs. The OXPzero™ platform technology reduces these risks and is being selectively applied to the most commonly used NSAID molecules, namely ibuprofen, naproxen and diclofenac for pain and inflammation and aspirin for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.



Marcelo Bravo, Chief Executive Officer, commented:

"We are pleased to have overcome the significant technical hurdles in the development of an immediate release, chewable, taste masked OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen tablet. Progressing this optimised OXP001 product to the clinic will provide the data to confirm further the benefits of the OXPzero™ technology including reduced GI irritation."





Sources

1. WHO Report "Adherence to long-term therapies. Evidence for action." 2003.

2. Evaluate Pharma

3. Black Swan Analysis Ltd - Market Evaluation for OXPzero™ technology to improve compliance with leading NSAID brands, November 2013 (commissioned by OXP)

One worth watching for a new entry point.


Results from Pilot Clinical Study of OXP500
RNS
RNS Number : 6490U
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
31 July 2015

Oxford Pharmascience Group plc

("Oxford Pharmascience" or the "Company")



Encouraging Results
from Pilot Clinical Study of OXPzeroTM Naproxen (OXP005)



Oxford Pharmascience, the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, today announces the results of its proof of concept clinical study to determine the extent of upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract irritation of its OXPzeroTM 250mg tablet ("OXP005") compared with the Naprosyn® 250mg (Naproxen) tablet by endoscopic evaluation. Further details are included below and more information can be found at www.ClinicalTrials.gov.



HIGHLIGHTS



• Achieved a statistically significant reduction in the number of upper gastrointestinal erosions observed by endoscopy after administration of OXP005 compared to Naprosyn® in healthy volunteers.



• Lanza score (a clinical rating score of gastrointestinal irritation in the stomach and duodenum on endoscopic evaluation) was comparable between OXP005 and Naprosyn®.



• PK data confirms bioequivalence of OXP005 and Naprosyn® at Day 1 and Day 7.



• The Company believes the technology can be further optimized specifically for naproxen and a programme to define the improved product is being initiated.



The primary endpoints of the study were 1. a comparison of the overall Lanza score and 2. a comparison of the total number of erosions observed in the stomach and duodenum.



In the study both OXP005 and Naprosyn® exhibited a similar Lanza score while OXP005 exhibits a moderate (c. 26%) reduction in total erosions, albeit at a non statistically significant level.



OXP005 meets the primary endpoint of reduced erosions exhibiting a major (c. 38%) reduction of total erosions which is statistically significant after accounting for ineligible subjects. While OXP005 is reducing the number of erosions, the Lanza score endpoint was not met.



The pharmacokinetic (PK) data obtained on Day 1 of the study confirm results observed in the first phase of the study and also confirm that on Day 7 OXP005 is fully bioequivalent to Naprosyn® based on mean values of core PK measures as detailed below.



Oxford Pharmascience is encouraged by these results and believes that further work will bring the OXPzeroTM Naproxen technology to its full potential. OXP005 was a direct re-application of the technology as developed for ibuprofen, which is known to cause less upper GI irritation than naproxen.



The Company believes it can further improve these results by adapting OXPzero™ specifically for the naproxen molecule. In the past few months a significant understanding of the technology and its ability to be modified has been gained in the lab and through its clinical trial observations and this will be applied to reiterate with a reformulated OXP005.


Headline pharmacokinetic data from a further pilot clinical study of OXPZeroTM Ibuprofen (OXP001) in an optimized, chewable form, will be reported in the coming weeks.



The Company plans to begin partnering discussions in the coming months with opportunities evaluated on the basis of both current and anticipated data, with the aim of achieving the optimal commercial outcome and value for shareholders. The Company's strong balance sheet provides greater commercial flexibility as it enters these discussions, including to conduct further work to adapt the platform for naproxen.



Marcelo Bravo, Chief Executive Officer, commented:



"We are encouraged by these results and take confidence from the fact that we now have two clinical data sets for OXPzeroTM variants of major NSAIDs demonstrating reduced GI irritation. Ibuprofen and naproxen account for $4.8 billion of the total $12 billion global market. We are confident in the future potential of the OXPzeroTM platform as we implement the further work to be done to exploit the full potential of naproxen and provide further data to support commercial discussions. With additional funds on board to allow us to generate further data, and additional endoscopy data from our further pilot clinical study for ibuprofen expected by the end of October, the plan remains to commence partnering discussions with the aim of maximising future value for the Company and its shareholders.



We look forward to providing further updates on our development pipeline, including the OXPzeroTM NSAIDs programme and other OXPzeroTM applications and the OXPtargetTM SafestatTM programme and other OXPtargetTM applications."



Summary PK Data



OXP005 achieved mean relative values for absorption (Area Under the Curve, AUC) and maximum concentration (Cmax) of 101.9% and 86.1% respectively on Day 1 and 105.6% and 91.7% respectively on Day 7. The mean values for AUC and Cmax are within the guidelines for bioequivalence (80.0 to 125.0%).

Preliminary PK Data & Initiation of Further Study
RNS
RNS Number : 7988V
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
12 August 2015



Oxford Pharmascience Group plc

("Oxford Pharmascience" or the "Company")



Preliminary Pharmacokinetic Data and
Initiation of Pilot Clinical Study

to Demonstrate Improved GI Profile for OXPzero™ Ibuprofen



Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc (AIM: OXP), the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, today announces that preliminary pharmacokinetic (PK) data confirms that OXP001(2) has successfully met its optimisation objectives for immediate release and complete drug absorption. The Company has commenced dosing in the second phase of the study, which seeks to prove the reduced gastro-intestinal (GI) irritation benefit of OXPzero™ Ibuprofen by endoscopic evaluation.



The randomized pilot PK study was a single-dose, two-arm UK study comparing the OXP001(2) 400mg chewable OXPzero™ Ibuprofen tablet and the reference Brufen® 400mg tablet (ibuprofen), in ten subjects. Preliminary PK data show comparable AUC (Area Under the Curve or total drug exposure over time) and tmax (time to reach maximum serum concentration) results, demonstrating that OXP001(2) is now a product with immediate and complete drug release characteristics. While the PK profile of the product appears to be similar to that of Brufen® on these measures, the maximum level of drug concentration in plasma (Cmax) appears to be lower compared to Brufen® but remains well within the range which the drug has therapeutic effect. The Company believes this preliminary PK data represents an acceptable clinical profile suitable for commercialisation. Additional PK data will be collected during the next phase of the study.



The taste masked benefit of OXPzero™ Ibuprofen was also assessed via subject interviews, during the first phase of this study, with consistent feedback confirming that the chewable tablets were tasteless, with none of the burn or after-taste issues associated with standard ibuprofen.



Following analysis of the preliminary PK data, the Company is proceeding to the second phase of the study, which aims to demonstrate a significantly reduced GI side effect profile compared to standard 400mg Brufen® tablets. The product to be tested, OXP001(2), is a 400mg chewable, taste masked, oral formulation of ibuprofen.



This phase of the study is a randomised, assessor-blinded, controlled pilot clinical study to assess the severity of upper GI damage via endoscopic assessment following 7 days' treatment of 2.4g/day of ibuprofen dosed as either OXP001(2) or Brufen®. A prior study in 2014 demonstrated significant GI side-effect benefits, compared to Brufen®, using an early version of OXP001 for which the PK profile has since been optimised for immediate release and complete drug absorption. Headline results on the second phase are expected to be released in Q4 2015, along with complete PK data and further taste masking assessments.



Marcelo Bravo, Chief Executive Officer, commented:

"We are pleased to confirm that OXP001(2) now achieves immediate release and complete drug absorption in vivo and that the taste masking benefit of the technology has been validated. We are confident the product is achieving release properties in line with the objective of delivering a reduction in GI irritation. Demonstrating that OXP001(2) achieves a significant reduction in GI erosions compared to Brufen® in this new formulation will validate OXPzero™ Ibuprofen as a disruptive compound in the major $4bn ibuprofen market."



Further details about the study can be found at www.ClinicalTrials.gov.

Listen: Preliminary PK Data & Initiation of Further Study

click here

Who Should Attend?Date:

Wednesday 25th May 2016

Venue:

Novotel Tower Bridge, London EC3N, 10 Pepys Street, London, EC3N 2NR

Event Timings:Sponsored by:

Making good progress in May.

For my own Info
Formerly Oxford NutraScience . . .they reformulate existing preparations to reduce risk . . . I guess the Old Name was likely to be associated with Nutrition, whereas they target Pain and other areas..... SP= 7.25p - almost doubled since early 2016 -late 2015.
Some Trials are underway - may explain the increased interest, etc.
EDIT (27Oct2016)- Spoke too soon...sp 3p-ish... Trial-delays...? -Or needing Trial-Cash?
EDIT(1Nov2016)- sp 2.13 - Is Ibrpru now in the Wild?... i.e. Others can use it? So it would not be an exclusive...
EDIT (11Jan2017)- sp 1.8p doesn't look like those Institutions ( at 10p, 2015) were betting their own money...
EDIT (10April2017)- fall-back to 1.9p - Oh dear.

Bought some earlier today

KEEP an EYE

OXP 2.225p ( 2.20/2.25p )

Large volume 40.4M at LSE and 3.3M at ISDX, share price bounce today after a fall from 7.75p this year and 13.50p last year. Cash rich £22M worth 1.82p, so 80% is in cash adn the rest of the company has almost no value.
video presentation from CEO

2.525p +0.25p

Going places now on a very narrow spread 2.50 v 2.55p
level 2 is 2 v 1
the last 2 days of large volume is working wonders for the share price now

2.525p +0.25p

level 2 of 2 v 1

Good post from Twitter group chat ........

Highlights

Substantive progress in commercialisation discussions regarding the Company's lead NSAID1 assets, OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen and OXPzeroTM Naproxen

Feedback has identified the key precursors to successful partnership outcomes, including:
additional platform development
clarity on regulatory pathway for over the counter (OTC) and Prescription (Rx) product approval

Significant progress advancing the OXPzeroTM technology platform:

Improvement of drug release in vitro
Scale-up and optimisation of the manufacturing process
Strengthening of the intellectual property (IP) portfolio

Planning to conduct small-scale exploratory pharmacokinetic (PK) trials to validate the in vivo performance of formulation improvements, with details to be announced separately in due course

Ongoing dialogue including the initiation of broader outreach to include the Rx market

Proceeding to seek pre-IND meetings with the US FDA to clarify US regulatory pathway

License per product would mean £20-30m upfront payment, Further sales milestone payments and mid teen royalty payments, Gastric safe NSAID's potential sales of over £500m

Marcelo Bravo, Chief Executive Officer, commented

We are very encouraged with the strong traction we are getting from some of the major potential partners in our discussions and we are also continuing to progress our other pipeline opportunities including Asprin and statins

Ibuprofen is currently the dominant NSAID molecule in the pain relief and anti-inflammatory sector with worldwide sales of Ibuprofen in excess of $5bn per annum. The Company has initiated contact with a number of large, global pharmaceutical companies with strategic interest in the ibuprofen market and is at an advanced stage of preparing information to proceed to the commercialisation phase with the OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen asset.

Large volume for the last few days

Below is the last holdings list of investor's over 3% and in the absence of a change of major holdings RNS assume is still current, they could now be adding and the free float looks tiny.

Woodford Investment Managers 401,597,920 33.31%
Mr R Griffiths 173,071,097 14.35%
David Norwood 105,938,633 8.79%
Marcelo Bravo 65,000,000 5.39%
Southern Fox Investments Ltd 51,000,000 4.23%
Henderson Global Investors 49,400,000 4.10%
Octopus Investments 42,140,345 3.50%
Aviva Investors 37,964,329 3.15%
Mr R Quested 37,247,753 3.09%

R&D Update
RNS
RNS Number : 6768O
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
09 November 2016
 
Oxford Pharmascience Group plc
("Oxford Pharmascience" or the "Company")
R&D Update
Oxford Pharmascience Group plc (AIM: OXP), the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take provides the following update on the development of its R&D pipeline.
OXPzeroTM
As reported within the interim results, the Company continues commercialisation discussions for its lead assets, OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen and OXPzeroTM Naproxen. In parallel, the Company has focused its technical activities on advancing the OXPzeroTM technology to affect and control release properties, scaling-up and optimising the manufacturing process and strengthening its intellectual property (IP) portfolio.
The Company has now completed preliminary laboratory work leading to the identification of OXPzeroTM platform technical modifications that alter the release properties and enable faster release of the NSAID. As a result of this work, the company has just filed a national application for a new patent in the UK with international filings to be expanded over the next two years as the application progresses, significantly strengthening the IP portfolio for its OXPzeroTM technology platform.
The Company will be now progressing to conduct UK based Phase I exploratory pharmacokinetic (PK) clinical studies to validate the in vivo performance of these technology improvements, focusing first on its lead compound OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen.  The OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen study will be split into three parts and will assess the PK profiles both at over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription (Rx) strength doses of standard ibuprofen against OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen and the lead technology modifications identified. Regulatory and Ethics submissions have been made for this study and dosing is expected to start early in 2017. In addition, pre-clinical evaluation of these technology modifications is ongoing using an innovative gastric mucosal cell model at the University of Newcastle to assess the effect of these technology modifications on gastric mucosal damage.
In parallel to this technical and clinical work, the Company is seeking clarity on the regulatory pathway for OTC and Rx OXPzeroTM NSAID products. The Company is now seeking advice from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the development pathway for the OTC and Rx OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen programmes. Pre-IND meeting requests have been submitted to the FDA for both the OTC and Rx variants; the Company has assembled a team of highly-experienced US and EU consultants to assist with these meetings which are expected to take place early in 2017. Obtaining clarity from the FDA on the regulatory pathway will be a major milestone to further facilitate partnering discussions for the key US market.
Other programmes
While the focus has been OXPzeroTM NSAIDs, the company also carried out development work to further its cardiovascular pipeline.
Following extensive process development work, OXPzeroTM Aspirin has been successfully manufactured at laboratory scale.  As the material produced by this process has not attained the required stability profile, a decision has been taken not to progress this programme further at this time
In our statins portfolio, development of a new colon-targeted formulation of atorvastatin is ongoing. The aim of this programme is to reduce the degree of cytochrome P450 metabolism in the upper GI tract, thereby reducing the formation of degradation products known to cause statin related side effects such as myalgia (muscle pain). A new formulation development and manufacturing contract facility has been appointed and development of a new salt form of atorvastatin with anticipated improved acid stability is ongoing.
Funding
 
Oxford Pharmascience remains well-funded to complete this next stage of work on clinical development and the regulatory pathway for its OXPzeroTM products, as well as the development work on atorvastatin, with cash balances as at 31 October 2016 of circa £22.6 million.
 
Commenting on the progress, CEO Marcelo Bravo said:
 
"In parallel to the ongoing commercial partnering activities, we are pleased to see OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen going back into the clinic and our OXPzeroTM NSAIDs IP protection being strengthened.  We look forward to receiving advice from the FDA on our over-the-counter and prescription OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen product development strategies."
This announcement contains inside information.

Company Update
RNS
RNS Number : 6402X
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
23 February 2017
 
Oxford Pharmascience Group plc
("Oxford Pharmascience" or the "Company")
OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen - Positive Exploratory PK Study Data
Oxford Pharmascience (AIM: OXP), the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, provides the following update on its lead OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen clinical programme.
On 17 January 2017 the Company confirmed that it had started dosing of healthy subjects in its Phase I exploratory pharmacokinetic (PK) study "OAT-01", as previously outlined in an earlier announcement dated 9 November 2016.  OAT-01 is a three-part, open label, active controlled, crossover study designed to assess the PK profile of the lead OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen technology modifications against licensed ibuprofen products to verify that the improvements in speed of ibuprofen release seen in laboratory studies translate into improvements in healthy human subjects.  Interim PK data from the first part of the study in 10 subjects indicate that the technology modifications can successfully change the PK profile of ibuprofen released into the body from OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen and that it is possible to achieve a PK profile comparable to NurofenTM (a licensed over-the-counter ibuprofen product) displaying:
•             equivalent maximum plasma levels (Cmax);
•             equivalent total absorption of ibuprofen (AUC); and
•             a faster rate of absorption (Tmax) (i.e. onset of efficacy). 
In addition, alternative technology modifications are able to achieve a PK profile for OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen with a slower rate of release and extended duration of effect as compared to NurofenTM.
The OAT-01 study will continue as planned to further elucidate the range of impact on PK by the technology modifications.  Further data from this study will help select the optimal technology modifications to guide subsequent formulation development of over-the-counter and prescription strength products. The Company do not intend to announce further OAT-01 study results since details of the technology modifications are the subject of a recently filed UK patent application with international filings to be expanded over the next two years as the UK application progresses. Further details on the OAT-01 study can be found at ClinicalTrials.gov using the identifier NCT02974361. 
 
Commenting on the results, CEO Marcelo Bravo said:
"Oxford Pharmascience is very pleased with these exploratory, interim PK study results, which demonstrate that the technolology modifications can not only make OXPzero™ Ibuprofen bioequivalent to ibuprofen free acid  (NurofenTM), but also potentially faster acting.  Achieving a product that is bioequivalent to reference is highly important to OXP as the regulatory pathway to gaining product approval generally becomes faster, simpler and therefore less costly for bioequivalent products.  The potential to accelerate speed of action or to extend the duration of effect is expected to further differentiate prospective OXPzeroTM products. 
"These results indicate a strong position with an OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen asset that can be made bioequivalent, completely taste masked and either faster acting or having an extended duration of effect compared to the reference product."

FDA Advice on OXPzero Ibuprofen OTC Opportunity
RNS
RNS Number : 7843X
Oxford Pharmascience Group PLC
29 November 2017
 
Oxford Pharmascience Group plc
("Oxford Pharmascience" or the "Company")
 
FDA Pre-IND Advice on OXPzero™ Ibuprofen OTC Opportunity
Oxford Pharmascience, the specialty pharmaceutical company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, today announces it has received pre-IND scientific advice from the FDA (US regulatory authority) regarding the development programme requirements likely to be needed to support a future new drug application ("NDA") in the US for an OTC product containing OXPzero™ Ibuprofen. Key points from the advice are:
·      The OXPzero™ Ibuprofen drug substance is considered a new ibuprofen salt form and hence will need to be submitted as a 505(b)(2) application (which is typically a faster route to approval than a traditional development path), as it bridges to the well-established safety and efficacy of the reference ibuprofen product.
 
·      Based on the FDA responses, the understanding is that the US NDA can be submitted with only Phase I PK data and that no further safety or efficacy studies are required to licence the product for use in adults, however this will be further assessed once PK data are available with the final to-be-marketed OTC formulation.
 
·      Further data will be required for US paediatric development.
The Company is pleased that OTC formulations of OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen can, in principle, be registered in the US with relatively low cost and low risk pharmacokinetic data.
Subject to completion of the planned demerger (as announced on 10 November 2017 and described in detail in the Circular sent to shareholders on the same date), the OXPzeroTM platform will be owned by the separate private entity, Oxford Pharmascience Limited ("OPL") (currently a subsidiary of the Company). OPL will continue with the ongoing commercialisation of the OXPzeroTM platform assets in both OTC and prescription markets.
Marcelo Bravo, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Pharmascience, commented:
"This FDA advice underpins our product development strategy for the US OTC market and it is encouraging that our novel, taste-masked OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen formulations can be developed for approval in the US without the need for costly Phase III trials."