results day .
Provexis PLC
15 June 2006
PROVEXIS plc
('Provexis' or the 'Group')
PRELIMINARY RESULTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2006
Provexis plc the nutraceutical company that develops scientifically-proven
functional and medical foods, announces its unaudited preliminary results for
the year ended 31 March 2006.
Financial Highlights
Results in-line with expectations
Sales of lead product SircoTM of 140,000 in first 3 months since launch
Total turnover of 268,000, decreased by 56 per cent. (2005: 609,000);
mainly due to the decrease of a one time non recurring fee paid by
Nutrinnovator Holdings to Provexis Limited in the prior year
Adjusted loss before interest, goodwill amortisation, share compensation
expense and tax of 2,528,000, increased by 320 per cent. (2005: 601,000)
Cash balance 2,166,000 (2005: 1,106,000)
Operational Highlights
Completion of reverse takeover of Nutrinnovator Holdings plc, placing
and admission of Provexis plc to trading on AIM
Lead product SircoTM launched in major UK supermarkets in January 2006
US patent granted for FruitflowTM technology
Product endorsement agreement with HEART UK for lead product SircoTM
Independent Expert Panel in United States affirmed that FruitflowTM
technology is Generally Recognised as Safe ('GRAS'), paving the way for
products containing FruitflowTM to be marketed in the North America
Collaboration agreement with leading global clinical nutrition company
for the development of Provexis' Crohn's disease technology
Awarded 180,000 research grant for Crohn's Disease Technology from
North West Development Agency
Post year-end achievements
International scientific endorsement for clinical efficacy of SircoTM
from the highest-ranked peer-reviewed journal in the nutrition field
Single serve 250ml bottle of SircoTM to be launched on schedule this
summer, initially in 150 Holland and Barratt stores with further
distribution in independent health food stores
Licence negotiations for FruitflowTM technology at an advanced stage
Secured a Standby Equity Distribution Agreement with a capital provider
for 3 million, to be utilised at our discretion
Dr Stephen Franklin, Chief Executive Officer of Provexis plc, commented:
'In line with our targets, we have succeeded in launching our lead product
SircoTM into major retailers in the UK. Furthermore, in the United States, our
FruitflowTM technology has secured a vital patent grant and has made a
significant advance towards its regulatory clearance. The FruitflowTM technology
has also received a major scientific endorsement by being accepted for
publication by the highest ranked peer reviewed journal in the nutrition field.
These achievements are major milestones in the development of the company and
unlock significant global commercial opportunities. Negotiations regarding the
licensing of the FruitflowTM technology are at an advanced stage and further
details will be announced in due course.
In addition to the progress made with our lead product SircoTM and the
FruitflowTM technology we have also continued development of our product
pipelines with two other technology platforms - a glucosinolate-enriched
broccoli extract to reduce the risk of specific types of cancer, and a patented
plantain based extract for the treatment of Crohn's Disease.
I am pleased with the progress that the Company has made since its admission to
AIM in June 2005 and believe that the Company is well-positioned to continue its
growth during the next 12 months and to capitalise on worldwide opportunities in
the rapidly growing functional food market.'
-ends-
For further information please contact:
Stephen Franklin, Chief Executive
Provexis plc Tel: 020 8392 6631
Victoria Geoghegan
Bell Pottinger Corporate & Financial Tel: 020 7861 3232
Tom Griffiths/Richard Dunn
Arbuthnot Securities Limited Tel: 020 7012 2000
Chairman's statement
The Company has made considerable progress in the year ended 31 March 2006.
Since the reverse takeover of Nutrinnovator Holdings plc, we have successfully
integrated the two businesses whilst remaining focussed on the delivery of
several major milestones. Provexis combines excellent scientific, marketing and
sales talent which enables us to develop and commercialise new functional food
technologies via a combination of licensing and new brands.
In 1998, Professor Asim Dutta-Roy made the discovery that the clear fraction of
tomatoes contained compounds that inhibited blood platelet aggregation, thereby
helping to maintain a smooth blood flow and as a result maintain a healthy heart
and circulation. After seven years of development, it has been extremely
rewarding during this period to witness the emergence of this technology in the
market place. The technology is now known as FruitflowTM, and the first product
to contain this bioactive is the fruit juice drink, SircoTM. SircoTM, endorsed
by the charity HEART UK, was launched on schedule in major UK supermarkets in
January 2006.
We are encouraged by the steady increase in the rate of sale of SircoTM and
favourable performance benchmarks against other functional fruit juices in the
market. In Tesco, we are encouraged by the fact that SircoTM now enjoys a rate
of sale which is comparable to many more established brands.
SircoTM has been strategically important to Provexis as a demonstrable example
of the FruitflowTM technology in action and there is little doubt that launch of
the brand in the UK has facilitated global licensing discussions with major food
and beverage companies. The Directors believe a successful licensing strategy,
across foods, supplements and medical products, is central to maximising the
value from the FruitflowTM technology and I am pleased with the advanced status
of these negotiations.
We recently received notice from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
('AJCN') that they have accepted for publication two scientific papers which
detail the clinical efficacy of SircoTM. The AJCN is internationally recognised
as the highest ranked peer-reviewed journal in the nutrition field and this
represents a major endorsement for the technology. This development is key to
implementing an effective and credible PR campaign and over the coming months
activity in this area will be escalated.
In conjunction with the University of Liverpool and Professor Jon Rhodes, the
Company continues to develop a medical food, based on a patented extract from
the plantain banana, for the dietary management of Crohn's disease, a condition
for which there is currently no cure. We also entered into a collaboration with
a global clinical nutrition company and secured a substantial research grant
from the North West Development Agency. The product enters clinical trials, on
schedule, this summer.
Provexis continues to work closely with Plant Bioscience Limited the
intellectual property arm of The Institute of Food Research in Norwich, to
develop a functional food product enriched in cancer-protective compounds
extracted from broccoli.
The functional food sector continues to grow strongly in all major markets
worldwide and I believe that Provexis, with its evidence-based approach, is
uniquely positioned to be a significant source of innovation for the industry.
We look forward to making yet further progress during the next year.
Dawson Buck
Chairman
Management review
The Provexis business model is to develop patented extracts from food which have
clinically proven health benefits. The intention is to commercialise these
technologies in the functional food and medical food markets via a combination
of new brand development and licensing to major brand-holding food and clinical
nutrition companies.
Year's highlights
During the year ended 31 March 2006 we have made considerable progress with our
technology pipeline and, importantly, have also integrated the two businesses
following the reverse takeover of Nutrinnovator last summer.
The launch of our lead product SircoTM in the UK, on schedule in January 2006,
represented an important milestone in the Company's progress. The SircoTM
trading business is significant in its own right, but the wider ambition for the
launch was to act as a catalyst for the global commercialisation of the
underpinning FruitflowTM technology. We have made very encouraging progress in
licensing negotiations, some of which are at an advanced stage, with major food
and beverage companies.
In addition to the successful development of our lead product, the Company also
secured a US patent for the FruitflowTM technology and subsequently an Expert
Panel in the United States affirmed that the ingredient was GRAS. These are two
critical developments in realising our licensing ambitions and enabling us to
penetrate our largest target market with FruitflowTM containing products. The US
functional food market is expected to reach US$34 billion of sales by 2010.
Financial Review
Total turnover for the Group for the year ended 31 March 2006 was 267,660.
Group turnover from continuing operations was 139,972 for the year ended 31
March 2006, arising from the sale of SircoTM. SircoTM was launched in three of
the UK's supermarket chains during the first quarter of 2006. Group turnover
from discontinued operations for the year ended 31 March 2006 was 127,688.
The turnover decrease from continuing operations of 55 per cent. for the year
ended 31 March 2006 compared to the year ended 31 March 2005 was principally due
to the one-off fee of 310,000 paid by Nutrinnovator Holdings plc to Provexis
Limited in the year ended 31 March 2005 partially offset by sales from the
launch of Sirco during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2006.
The turnover decrease from discontinued operations of 57 per cent. for the year
ended 31 March 2006 compared to the year ended 31 March 2005 is due to the sale
of the Altu food bar business on 4 October 2005.
Other administration expenses for the year ended 31 March 2006 were 2,940,992
compared to 1,441,158 for the year ended 31 March 2005. The increase was due to
increased overheads for the new group following the reverse acquisition in June
2005. In addition, exceptional re-organisation costs of 119,850 have been
charged to the profit and loss account.
Operating loss before interest and taxation from continuing operations for year
ended 31 March 2006 totalled 3,346,385 compared to an operating loss of
1,106,715. The increase in operating loss is mainly due to the decrease in
revenues for the year and the new group structure following the reverse
acquisition of Provexis Limited in June 2005. Share option compensation expense
of 455,446 was charged to the profit and loss account during the year in
connection with share options granted at exercise prices that were lower than
market price on the date of grant. Also, included in operating loss is
amortisation of goodwill arising from the reverse acquisition of Provexis
Limited in the amount of 363,264.
Operating loss before interest and taxation from discontinued operations for the
year ended 31 March 2006 totalled 172,003. The Altu food-bar business was sold
to Altu Limited, trading as Go Lower Limited in October 2005. A provision of
32,756 was recorded in September 2005 in connection with certain write-offs
following the sale of the Altu business.
Cash at bank as at 31 March 2006 was 2,166,243 compared to 1,105,689. To
strengthen liquidity and capital resources the Company has secured a Standby
Equity Distribution Agreement with a capital provider for 3 million. Under the
agreement the Company may, at its discretion and throughout its term, sell
Ordinary shares up to the amount of 3million.
SircoTM heart health juice
During the period the industrial scale manufacturing process for the FruitflowTM
ingredient was finalised and the Company has successfully developed and launched
SircoTM, the first heart health drink to contain the active ingredient.
FruitflowTM works by reducing blood platelet aggregation, a significant
contributing factor to a thrombosis (internal blood clot) which can cause heart
attack or stroke.
SircoTM was launched during January 2006 in Tesco, Sainsbury's and Waitrose.
Since the year end Sainsbury's has de-listed SircoTM as part of its wide ranging
rationalisation of chilled juice brands reducing the distribution base. However,
the product continues to be sold in 550 Tesco stores and 120 Waitrose stores,
and we are witnessing an increasing rate of sale in both. In particular, the
steady growth of rate of sale in Tesco is encouraging and is comparable to many
of the more established brands.
Licensing of FruitflowTM technology
The Company is implementing a global licensing strategy for the FruitflowTM
technology in different areas of application ranging from food and supplements
to medical categories.
Negotiations are at an advanced stage with global food companies and further
details will be announced in due course.
Altu food bar
During the period, we completed the disposal of the Altu food-bar business in
order to focus on the core business of developing and commercialising functional
foods.
New product development
The Company entered into a collaboration agreement with a global clinical
nutrition company in order to facilitate the development of a novel medical
food, based on a patented extract from plantain, for the dietary management of
Crohn's disease. Crohn's disease is a chronic, relapsing disease of the
intestine which affects 1 in a 1000 people in the UK. The disease is incurable
and management of the condition is currently restricted to various drug regimes
and surgery. Furthermore, the Company secured a 180,000 research grant, after a
competitive pitch, from the North West Development Agency.
We continue to work closely with the technology transfer organisation of The
Institute of Food Research to develop a bioactive ingredient, sourced from
broccoli, associated with a reduced risk of developing certain types of cancer.
We are currently reviewing the relative merits of launching a new brand in the
UK followed by a global licensing strategy, or alternatively moving straight to
licensing arrangements.
The Group is eighteen months into a three year technology acquisition agreement
with Plant Bioscience Limited who continue to access their global network of 35
research institutes to find further functional food opportunities.
Outlook
In summary, we have made good progress during the period and met the milestones
that we set out to achieve at the time of our admission to AIM. The prospects
for the next twelve months are very encouraging. Most recently we have secured
another vital endorsement from the most highly regarded peer-reviewed
publication in the field of nutrition, the AJCN. This represents a major
validation of the quality of the science behind FruitflowTM.
We are delighted to announce that the single-serve 250ml version of SircoTM will
be launched this summer, on schedule, in independent health food stores and an
initial distribution base of 150 Holland and Barrett stores. We remain in
ongoing discussions with a number of retailers regarding new listings for both
the existing 1 litre and the new 250ml format.
We are currently in a very important period for the business with regard to
securing the first licensing agreement for the FruitflowTM technology and
thereby validating our business model. We remain confident of securing the first
of these arrangements in the short-term and believe that the Company is well
positioned to take advantage of the increasing global demand for functional
foods.
Stephen Franklin
Chief Executive Officer
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