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.

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