Newly floated Cambridge BioTech company formed in 2007 has over 300 customers including Astra Zeneca.

Floated at 180p.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizon_Discovery

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One of Shares 15 for 2015

Yes I saw that dc.

Broken 200p barrier and looking good for 2015.

Shares - To improve its standing in the market it is buying companies to create a fully integrated life science business. Horizon is not exposed to the huge development risks associated with the industry. If the drug fails in the development or clinical trial stages , Horizon still gets paid. Second, this enables it to generate revenues from the industry, which is rare for a small cap.

This has magic .

Horizon Discovery target price raised to 229p

By Philip Whiterow

January 07 2015, 3:27pm
N+1 expects the momentum to continue, with more deals over the next year helping to de-risk the stock.


Horizon Discovery (LON:HZD) has pushed through N+1’s target price prompting the broker to raise it to 229p from 183p.

The strength in the bio research company’s share price has stemmed from strong newsflow including multiple deals across the whole range of Horizon Discovery’s offering and the business is not reliant on any single agreement, said the broker.

N+1 expects the momentum to continue, with more deals over the next year helping to de-risk the stock.

Shares were 207p today.

Horizon Discovery snaps up high volume genomics platform for £6mln

By Philip Whiterow

January 08 2015, 9:05am
Haplogen cell lines can be generated much more easily than normal cell lines.
Haplogen cell lines can be generated much more easily than normal cell lines.


Horizon Discovery (LON:HZD) has agreed to acquire Haplogen Genomic, a Vienna-based company that has developed a high-volume human genomics platform.

Haplogen’s technology can generate precisely engineered human cell lines at a price that puts genome editing within the reach of all academic researchers, Horizon said.

Cell lines are used to compare normal and diseased patients to find the best combinations of medicines to treat an illness.

Horizon has been rapidly building its portfolio of diagnostic tools since it listed last March.

In November, it signed an exclusive agreement with diagnostic tool developer Adarza BioSystems to follow the acquisitions of CombinatoRx in June and SAGE Labs in September.

Haplogen will give it its own high-throughput cell line generation platform based on human haploid genetics.

The deal will increase its cell line inventory by over ten-fold and enable an on-demand cell line development service to be launched this quarter, it added.

Haplogen cell lines can be generated much more easily than normal cell lines as only one copy of a gene instead of the normal two needs to be targeted.

Horizon will pay £6mln in cash for Haplogen, with a possible further £3.9mln depending on performance.

Darrin Disley, Horizon’s chief executive, said: "We have seen increasing interest in Haplogen Genomics' offerings from all customer segments including academic researchers, drug development companies and research tools providers since we started working with them.

"This acquisition is a continuation of our ambition, stated at the time of our IPO, of expanding our intellectual property portfolio, product development capabilities and commercial offerings to gain broader access to important markets, especially basic academic research.”

HORIZON DISCVRY

19 Jan 2015 07:00:21



Horizon Dis Grp plc



RNS Number : 4726C

Horizon Discovery Group plc

19 January 2015








PRESS RELEASE

19th January 2015



Horizon Discovery Group plc



Trading Update



Revenues expected to be ahead of consensus by approximately 7% driven by an increased global demand for expanded product, service and IP offering



Cambridge, UK - 19th January 2014: Horizon Discovery Group plc (LSE: HZD) ("Horizon" or the "Group"), the international life science company supplying research tools and services to organizations engaged in genomics research and the development of personalized medicines, today announces a trading update ahead of its full year results for the twelve months ended 31 December 2014. The Group intends to announce its preliminary full year 2014 results on 14 April 2015.



The Group reports a successful year and expects full year 2014 revenues to be ahead of consensus expectations of £11.0 million by approximately 7%, representing growth in excess of 77% over prior year (year ended 31 December 2013: £6.7 million). In addition, the Group is eligible to receive future R&D milestones of up to £158 million plus future product royalties (year ended 31 December 2013: £120m).



This strong performance has been driven by an increased global demand for Horizon's fully integrated commercial offering comprising research tools, services and intellectual property including drug targets, drug biomarkers and drug candidates. Horizon worked with 30 of the world's top 50 Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical companies during the year (year ended 31 December 2013: 21) and 961 organisations in total (year ended 31 December 2013: 353). The Horizon offering enables its customers to translate human genome sequencing data into innovative medicines and companion diagnostic tests that improve clinical outcomes for patients and economic outcomes for drug developers and healthcare payers alike.



Molecular diagnostic reagent products, genome-editing services and combination drug screening services have contributed significantly to the growth in revenue and in customer breadth and depth. Revenue includes consolidated contributions following the successful integration of two strategic acquisitions completed in 2014 that have broadened the Group's capabilities and established Horizon as the world's leading translational genomics company. Horizon Discovery Incorporated, was formed following the acquisition of the combination high-throughput screening business and assets ("CombinatoRx") from Zalicus Incorporated (NASDAQ: ZLCS), completed on 2 June 2014, and Sage Labs, Incorporated an in vivo model development company completed on 29 September, 2014.



Financial reporting will include non-recurring exceptional items relating to the IPO and the acquisitions during the year and losses for the Group are expected to be in line with market expectations as investment continues in the long term growth of the business consistent with our previously reported strategy.



Year-end cash is expected to be reported at approximately £17m (year ended 31 December 2013: £4.2m).



Post-period end, on 8 January 2015, the Company announced the acquisition of Haplogen Genomics GmbH, a biotechnology company based in Vienna, Austria. Now renamed Horizon Genomics GmbH, the acquired company's core haploid technology platform adds a new dimension to the Group's commercial offering by adding a 10-fold increase in both its cell line product inventory (10,000 vs 1,000 previously) and production capacity (100s per month vs 10s per month previously) as well as a 10-fold reduction in production cost. These products have application in basic genomics research enabling access to the fast-growing academic research market not previously penetrated by the Group as well as broadening its commercial offering to those companies engaged in drug discovery and development. This also builds Horizon's capability in generating genetic sequence, antibody, aptamer and protein validation reagents for research, process optimisation and diagnostic uses.



Dr. Darrin M. Disley, Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Discovery Group, commented:

"Last year was transformational for Horizon as we expanded from a fast-growing private company with approximately 80 employees located in Cambridge, UK, to a fully integrated global public company with over 200 employees in the UK, United States and now in Vienna, Austria.



"We have enjoyed strong revenue growth in 2014, driven both organically and through the successful acquisitions of CombinatoRx and Sage Labs. Horizon has remained focused on becoming a fully-integrated life science company and, with the integration of recent acquisitions, is now able to provide service, product and R&D solutions to customers engaged in all stages of the personalized medicine paradigm from 'sequence to treatment'.



"This has also been a year in which Horizon cemented its leadership in the fields of genome editing and personalized medicine through the acquisition of key IP, operational capability and know-how. To support this growth, management has further developed Horizon's talent pool, and, to this effect, we have augmented our Executive, Scientific Advisory Board as well as added high calibre business leaders to our Board to guide the Company.



"Horizon has successfully delivered on all of its 2014 goals as set out at the time of the IPO, and we are confident and very excited by the prospects for the year ahead."



ENDS

Horizon Discovery transition to AIM a success as revenues look set to exceed forecasts

By Ian Lyall

January 19 2015, 7:29am
The update marks a confident start to life on the markets for the life sciences group, which listed on AIM in March.
The update marks a confident start to life on the markets for the life sciences group, which listed on AIM in March.


Horizon Discovery Group (LON:HZD) said 2014 revenues will be some 7% ahead of forecast and 77% up on the year earlier, boosted by increased demand for its services and contributions from two recent acquisitions.

It marks a confident start to life on the markets for the life sciences group, which listed on AIM in March.

Ahead of today’s announcement analysts were predicting Horizon would post sales of £11mln.

The update also revealed group is eligible to receive future R&D milestones of up to £158mln plus future product royalties (up from £120mln at the end of 2013).

It now provides 30 of the top 50 pharma and biotech companies with research tools, services and intellectual property including drug targets, drug biomarkers and drug candidates.

Its specialty is human gene editing, which in very basic terms means it is able to produce a pair of human cell lines identical with the exception of carefully selected mutations.

These cell lines act as a surrogate for a patient in a state of good health versus diseased health and enables drug makers to develop novel medicines that target the specific genetic drivers of a disease and implement shorter, less costly and targeted clinical trials.

This time last year the figure was 21. In total 961 organisations use its services, up from 353.

The business is well funded with £17mln of cash.

Chief executive Darrin Disley said last year was transformational for Horizon as it expanded from a fast-growing private company with 80 employees located in Cambridge, to a fully integrated global public company with over 200 employees in the UK, US and Austria.

"We have enjoyed strong revenue growth in 2014, driven both organically and through the successful acquisitions of CombinatoRx and Sage Labs,” he added.

“Horizon has remained focused on becoming a fully-integrated life science company and, with the integration of recent acquisitions, is now able to provide service, product and R&D solutions to customers engaged in all stages of the personalized medicine paradigm from sequence to treatment.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

19 Jan N+1 Singer 246.00 Buy
19 Jan Panmure Gordon 247.00 Buy

UPDATE - Horizon Discovery rises as revenues look set to exceed forecasts

By Ian Lyall

January 19 2015, 2:29pm
The update marks a confident start to life on the markets for the life sciences group, which listed on AIM in March.
The update marks a confident start to life on the markets for the life sciences group, which listed on AIM in March.


---ADDS BROKER COMMENT AND SHARE PRICE---

Horizon Discovery Group (LON:HZD) said 2014 revenues will be some 7% ahead of forecast and 77% up on the year earlier, boosted by increased demand for its services and contributions from two recent acquisitions.

It marks a confident start to life on the markets for the life sciences group, which listed on AIM in March.

Ahead of today’s announcement analysts were predicting Horizon would post sales of £11mln.

The update also revealed the group is eligible to receive future R&D milestones of up to £158mln plus future product royalties (up from £120mln at the end of 2013).

It now provides 30 of the top 50 pharma and biotech companies with research tools, services and intellectual property including drug targets, drug biomarkers and drug candidates. This time last year the figure was 21. In total 961 organisations use its services, up from 353.

Its specialty is human gene editing, which in very basic terms means it is able to produce a pair of human cell lines identical with the exception of carefully selected mutations.

These cell lines act as a surrogate for a patient in a state of good health versus diseased health and enables drug makers to develop novel medicines that target the specific genetic drivers of a disease and implement shorter, less costly and targeted clinical trials.

The business is well funded with £17mln of cash.

Chief executive Darrin Disley said last year was transformational for Horizon as it expanded from a fast-growing private company with 80 employees located in Cambridge, to a fully integrated global public company with over 200 employees in the UK, US and Austria.

"We have enjoyed strong revenue growth in 2014, driven both organically and through the successful acquisitions of CombinatoRx and Sage Labs,” he added.

“Horizon has remained focused on becoming a fully-integrated life science company and, with the integration of recent acquisitions, is now able to provide service, product and R&D solutions to customers engaged in all stages of the personalized medicine paradigm from sequence to treatment.”

Panmure Gordon reiterated its ‘buy’ recommendation and upped its price target from 234p to 247p.

Having previously pencilled in sales of £11.1mln for 2014, the broker now expects the top line will rise to £11.7mln.

“The strength of demand in Horizon’s markets, coupled with the company’s ability to act as an enabling partner to its customers has underpinned the success, and we anticipate further growth in delivery as the recent acquisitions are bedded in,” Panmure Gordon analyst Dr Mike Mitchell said.

Dr Mitchell sees Horizon thriving in a life sciences environment which is making the transition towards developing more personalised medicine.

“The performance to December ahead of our expectations reaffirms our view of a robust business, led by a strong operational management team, in turn supported by a world-class Board. As such, we consider today’s announcement as evidence of strong foundations being laid for future growth,” Dr Mitchell concluded.

Shares in Horizon were up 4.9% at 235p in afternoon trading.

Great future for Discovery.

Shares - momentum is with Horizon and further upgrades would not surprise.

Horizon Discovery Selected as Core Facility
RNS
RNS Number : 6956D
Horizon Discovery Group plc
02 February 2015



PRESS RELEASE

2nd February 2015







Horizon Discovery Group Selected as Core Facility by Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute



Two year master services agreement signed with an initial work order for $500,000 to carry out drug combination screening and in vitro assay development



Cambridge, UK, 2nd February 2015: Horizon Discovery Group plc (LSE:HZD) (Horizon), the international life science company supplying research tools and services to organizations engaged in genomics research and the development of personalized medicines, today announced that it has been selected to act as a core facility by the Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute (TDI). As a core facility, Horizon will provide single and combination drug profiling followed by confirmatory secondary assay services to TDI through its discovery research services unit.



Under the agreement, Horizon will receive up to $500,000 for work to be performed during 2015 and 2016, with the option for additional collaboration work orders thereafter.



Horizon will utilize its unique cHTS (combination High Throughput Screening) platform and Chalice™ analytics software to screen and analyze potentially thousands of small-molecule drugs, therapeutic antibodies or proteins in combination to identify synergistic or antagonistic interactions. Horizon will also provide a range of optimized cellular assays as follow-ups to identify drug target activity. The first programs are forecast to start in the second half of 2015.



Dr. Darrin M. Disley, Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Discovery Group plc, commented: "Horizon is thrilled to have been chosen as a core facility to support TDI research programs via application of our innovative drug combination screening platform and assay services. The partnership, which provides access to multiple components of our technology platforms and capabilities, reinforces the value that we can provide our customers from 'sequence to treatment'. We look forward to working with the TDI team and potentially broadening our relationship further in 2016 and 2017."



Dr. Michael Foley, Sanders Director, TDI, said: "The Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute links researchers in basic and clinical science with experts in drug discovery from the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, with the goal of more efficiently translating discoveries into therapies for disease. We are delighted to be partnering with Horizon Discovery Group and look forward to initiating the programs."





ENDS

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


UPDATE - Horizon Discovery boss thrilled with TDI contract

By Philip Whiterow

February 02 2015, 11:47am
Horizon will analyse potentially thousands of small-molecule drugs, therapeutic antibodies or proteins in combination.
Horizon will analyse potentially thousands of small-molecule drugs, therapeutic antibodies or proteins in combination.


-- adds broker comment, share price --

Life sciences group Horizon Discovery (LON:HZD) has won a US$500,000 contract to provide drug profiling facilities to the Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute (TDI).

The TDI links researchers in basic and clinical science with experts in drug discovery from the biotech and pharmaceutical industries.

Horizon will analyse potentially thousands of small-molecule drugs, therapeutic antibodies or proteins in combination to identify synergistic or antagonistic interactions.

The AIM-listed firm will also provide a range of optimized cellular assays as follow-ups to identify drug target activity. The first programs are forecast to start in the second half of 2015.

Darrin Disley, Horizon’s chief executive, said he was thrilled Horixzon had been chosen.

“The partnership, which provides access to multiple components of our technology platforms and capabilities, reinforces the value that we can provide our customers from 'sequence to treatment'.

“We look forward to working with the TDI team and potentially broadening our relationship further in 2016 and 2017."

Panmure Gordon that though small, in the wider scheme of Horizon's overall activities the contract emphasised the continued traction of its unique technology offering. ‘Buy’ says the broker.

Shares rose 4p to 227p.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////



2 Feb Panmure Gordon 247.00 Buy

Who Should Attend?Date:

Tuesday 24th February 2015

Venue:

Novotel Tower Bridge, London EC3N, 10 Pepys Street, London, EC3N 2NR

Event Timings:Sponsored by:

Horizon Discovery primed to take advantage of new era of personalised medicine, says Peel Hunt

By Ian Lyall

February 13 2015, 11:36am
“Horizon is the go-to provider of genetically defined cell and animal models of disease, with significant expertise in combination drug screening that is well aligned with trends in big pharma,” Cuddon said in his note
“Horizon is the go-to provider of genetically defined cell and animal models of disease, with significant expertise in combination drug screening that is well aligned with trends in big pharma,” Cuddon said in his note


The broker Peel Hunt described Horizon Discovery (LON:HZD) as a “long-term buy and hold” as it initiated coverage of the life sciences specialist with a 30-page research note.

Setting a 280p price target, it gave an upbeat assessment of the group’s prospects, suggesting it is primed to take advantage of a fundamental shift in healthcare.

“Horizon Discovery is a sector-leading UK company focused on providing products and services in a new era of personalised – or as President Obama recently described it – precision medicine,” said analyst Dr Paul Cuddon.

“We are particularly attracted to Horizon’s fast-growing products business that benefits from the greater commercial scale provided through recent acquisitions.”

Horizon is a specialist in the cutting-edge arena of gene editing, which allows it to produce a pair of human cell lines identical with the exception of carefully selected mutations.

These cell lines act as a surrogate for a patient in a state of good health versus diseased health and enables drug makers to develop novel medicines that target the specific genetic drivers of a disease and implement shorter, less costly and targeted clinical trials.

Cuddon reckons gene-editing is in a similar position to the antibody industry two decades ago, and he believes it is poised for “similarly rapid growth”.

Drilling down, the analyst said Horizon’s products division has the capacity to treble its revenues by 2017 “given alignment with the rapidly growing clinical sequencing and molecular diagnostics markets”.

“Importantly, the recent acquisition of Haplogen has scaled its catalogue significantly, opening up mass-academic markets with lower-cost cell lines that have the potential to become industry standards,” he added.

At the same time, he said the services business also has “sufficient scale” in pre-clinical services, which are increasingly being outsourced to firms such as Horizon.

He reckons this ‘niche’, as he describes it, is worth US$13bn a year.

“Horizon is the go-to provider of genetically defined cell and animal models of disease, with significant expertise in combination drug screening that is well aligned with trends in big pharma,” Cuddon said in his note.

“Horizon has leveraged this division and its cell lines to secure long term commercial agreements with AstraZeneca and Novartis that offer additional long-term upside.”

The shares, up 56% in the last three months alone, were changing hands at 203p earlier, valuing the business at £179mln.

Thanks for posting dreamcatcher.

18 Feb Panmure Gordon 247.00 Buy

UPDATE - Horizon Discovery and partners land £1.67mln grant

By Ian Lyall

February 18 2015, 1:43pm
Horizon's gene editing platform will be used to manipulate pathways identified that will then be tested by Manchester University to generate proof of concept.
Horizon's gene editing platform will be used to manipulate pathways identified that will then be tested by Manchester University to generate proof of concept.


---ADDS BROKER COMMENT AND SHARE PRICE---

Horizon Discovery (LON:HZD) is part of a group that has been awarded £1.67mln to fund the commercial development of Chinese hamster ovary cell lines.

These are critical tools for manufacturing of high-value biopharmaceuticals and Horizon and its partners aim to create a suite of engineered cell lines containing a range of modifications.

The changes are designed to control and improve metabolic performance of the cells for the production of medicines.

It has teamed up with the Centre for Process Innovation and Professor Alan Dickson from the University of Manchester.

The money, meanwhile, is coming from two sources: the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and Innovate UK.

Horizon's gene editing platform will be used to manipulate pathways identified that will then be tested by Manchester University to generate proof of concept.

The performance of novel genotypes will be assessed in fermentors and scaled-up to 'manufacture-ready' processes at the Centre for Process Innovation and its National Biologics Manufacturing Centre business unit.

"Cell line development through targeted gene editing will be critical in delivering the next generation of biological medicines,” said Brian Burke, Horizon’s business development director.

“This funding award will enable the development of an engineered CHO cell line tool kit that will drive new bioprocessing solutions beyond the term of the project, giving the bioprocessing community a foundation upon which further improvements in cell line systems can be built."

Panmure Gordon said today’s announcement fits extremely well with Horizon’s skill set and strategic aims.

"Typically, we consider Horizon’s customer base in terms of commercial biotech and pharma companies, but today’s announcement should act as a reminder that the company also acts as a crucial partner in the development of technology considered strategically important within the UK biotechnology base," the broker said, as it reiterated its 'buy' recommendation.

N+1 Singer is also a buyer, and said today's announcement is good news for Discovery, as it helps develop this key area of the business.

"The recent business and project wins are creating positive momentum in Horizon Discovery and underpinning our revenue growth assumptions," the broker said.

"Horizon Discovery is still in its rapid growth phase and we believe that there will be further new business announcements over the next year as the company aims to break even in FY2016. We believe that the shares have further to go, and that management are increasingly de-risking the business," it concluded.

Shares in Horizon were down 8p to 212p in mid-afternoon trading.

Horizon Provides Genomic Standards To CRUK
RNS
RNS Number : 1013H
Horizon Discovery Group plc
11 March 2015

PRESS RELEASE

11th March 2015







Horizon Discovery Group plc to Support Cancer Research UK's Stratified Medicine Program



Horizon's Diagnostics division to provide genetically defined, human genomic reference standards



Cambridge, UK, 11th March 2015: Horizon Discovery Group plc (LSE:HZD) (Horizon), a leading provider of research tools to support translational genomics and the development of personalized medicines, today announced that it will be providing genomic Reference Materials to support Phase Two of Cancer Research UK's Stratified Medicine Programme (SMP). Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.



The work will focus on supporting the validation of a Cancer Research UK SMP Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) targeted enrichment panel, using Horizon's HDx human genomic Reference Materials. The NGS project involves multi-gene, multi-aberration tumor analysis and is being run in CPA, GLP and ISO accredited laboratories, with a UK NEQAS (www.ukneqas.org.uk) quality assessment. These Reference Materials will support run-to-run and lab-to-lab longitudinal assessment of performance of the NGS technology.



In Phase Two of the SMP, Cancer Research UK will work with the national Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) network and national genetic testing laboratories to develop a national screening programme for lung cancer samples in the NHS. Once screened, these results will be used to place patients on the National Lung Matrix Trial, run by the Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit (CRCTU) in Birmingham, and led by Prof. Gary Middleton.



The scope of the project involves Horizon's Diagnostics business unit providing renewable, genetically defined Reference Materials representing a range of genetic aberrations and containing defined allelic mutation frequencies. The Reference Materials developed will enable reliable comparison of assay performance across sequencing platforms, targeted assays and laboratories by providing a common universal reference point.



Many factors contribute to variability in the quality of clinical samples, which is currently a concern within molecular pathology laboratories working towards the clinical application of NGS panels for tumor screening. To address this, Cancer Research UK will use Horizon's precisely defined formalin compromised Reference Standards to assess the performance of Cancer Research UK's-SMP NGS, in order to inform any necessary changes in clinical practice surrounding preparation of FFPE samples for downstream NGS analysis.



Dr Paul Morrill, President, Products, Horizon Discovery, said:"Research programs such as Cancer Research UK's Stratified Medicine Programme form a vital piece of the puzzle in the drive toward personalized, or stratified, medicine as a routine approach for the testing and treatment of cancer. We are delighted to have been chosen to support Cancer Research UK on the delivery of Phase Two of this project."



Dr Ian Walker, Head of Cancer Research UK's stratified medicine programme, commented: "Research into stratified medicine is helping us to understand the genetic changes that drive cancer, and to find out how different cancers respond to treatment. Ensuring accuracy in genetic assessment of tumors is a vital part of this process, and we welcome Horizon's involvement in assisting Cancer Research UK with taking the Stratified Medicine Programme forwards."





ENDS

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/investing/article-2994960/MIDAS-SHARE-TIPS-life-science-group-broaden-Horizon.html

Horizon Discovery named 'Business of the Year' for second time

By Giles Gwinnett

March 18 2015, 2:55pm
Other firms to have won twice include chip designer ARM Holdings (LON:ARM), Domino Printing Sciences (LON:DNO) and consumer electronics firm CSR (LON:CSR).



Horizon Discovery (LON:HZD) has joined a select band of companies who can claim to have won "Business of the Year" at the Business weekly awards.

Having first won the accolade, now in its 25th year, in 2011, Horizon has transformed from a private UK life science business in Cambridge to a publicly-listed international life science group employing more than 230 staff across the UK, Austria and the US.

Other firms to have won twice include chip designer ARM Holdings (LON:ARM), Domino Printing Sciences (LON:DNO) and consumer electronics firm CSR (LON:CSR).

Horizon supplies research tools and services to organisations engaged in genomics research and floated on AIM in March last year, since when it has carried out a series of targeted acquisitions as well as expanding its suite of products and services.

Horizon Discovery Group signs OEM agreement with gene fusion detection specialist

By John Harrington

March 23 2015, 7:52am
The agreement is a further endorsement of the demand in the translational sequencing market for accurate and reliable reference material to validate sample testing, Horizon said.
The agreement is a further endorsement of the demand in the translational sequencing market for accurate and reliable reference material to validate sample testing, Horizon said.


Hyperactive life science research group Horizon Discovery (LON:HZD) has signed another agreement, this time with ArcherDX, specialists in gene fusion detection.

The two companies have signed an original equipment manufacturing (OEM) agreement that will see Horizon’s reference materials supplied as a standalone product alongside ArcherDX’s Archer FusionPlex to aid customer validation of Archer’s anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusion assay (testing) kits.

ALK fusions of genetic markers ALK, RET, ROS1, are found in about 3-7% of lung tumours and are an important clinical marker for non-small cell lung cancer.

"The three genes in this particular FusionPlex assay can be oncogenic drivers in lung cancer, which makes them great candidates for targeted therapies," said ArcherDX’s chief executive, Dr Jason Myers.

“The low incidence rates of these mutations make it difficult for laboratories to find renewable sources of controls. By combining HDx Reference Material with the Archer panel, we are able to offer a method to ensure consistency and accuracy," he added.

The FusionPlex ALK fusion tests can run on both Illumina and Ion Torrent next-generation sequencing platforms, a fast-growing market that represented US$2.5 billion in 2014, and Horizon anticipates that the Archer assay will prove to be received well by the market.

"Our agreement with Archer is a recognition of the importance of providing controls alongside a targeted sequencing assay, and as an important OEM agreement is a milestone for Horizon,” said Dr Paul Morrill, president of Products Business at Horizon Discovery.

23 Mar Panmure Gordon 247.00 Buy
23 Mar N+1 Singer 246.00 Buy

Horizon Discovery awarded AMSCI grant
RNS
RNS Number : 3705I
Horizon Discovery Group plc
25 March 2015

RNS RELEASE

25th March 2015







Horizon Discovery Group plc and Partners Awarded up to £6.2M Funding Under Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative



Horizon to receive up to £652,000 to expand bioproduction research



Cambridge, UK, 25 March 2015: Horizon Discovery Group plc (LSE:HZD) (Horizon), the international life science company supplying research tools and services that power genomics research and the development of personalized medicines, announced today that a consortium led by the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) on behalf of UCB Celltech and Lonza Biologics and including Horizon as a full partner, have been awarded £6.2 million as part of the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (AMSCI).



The AMSCI program consists of an approximate total £11.3M of costs with approximately £6.2 million in grant funding being delivered by the UK Government Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Innovate UK and Birmingham City Council, to support the future needs of biologics manufacturing in the UK. Horizon will receive up to £652,000 which will be used to expand research performed in its Bioproduction business.



This initiative will support the future needs of biologics manufacturing and will help develop next-generation production systems so that the most efficacious and cost-effective therapies are made available to patients.



Horizon will use its gene editing and screening expertise to develop a high throughput platform designed to accelerate the development of novel and improved Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell lines. Horizon will introduce specific genetic changes into these CHO cell lines, allowing better decisions to be made on potential performance improvements for biologic drug manufacturing.



Dr Darrin M. Disley, Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Discovery Group commented: "To be part of this AMSCI initiative and to be recognized by the Government with this grant is an endorsement of our leading capabilities in gene editing and we are grateful for this opportunity."



Dr Paul Morrill, President, Products, Horizon Discovery Group, added:"Horizon, along with UCB and the other consortium partners, recognizes the importance of strengthening the biomanufacturing supply chain in order to deliver the next generation of biological medicines. Enhancing cell line function through gene editing is a critical path activity towards this outcome. This initiative, alongside the recent Industrial Biotechnology Catalyst funding, further reinforces Horizon's reputation as a driver of innovation for biomanufacturing."



ENDS







Notes to Editors



For further information from Horizon Discovery Group plc, please contact:



Consilium Strategic Communications (Financial Media and Investor Relations)

Amber Bielecka / Mary-Jane Elliott / Jessica Hodgson / Matthew Neal

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5701

Email: horizon@consilium-comms.com



Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited (NOMAD)

Corporate Finance: Freddy Crossley / Duncan Monteith / Fred Walsh

Broking: Tom Salvesen

Tel: +44 20 7886 2500



Zyme Communications (Trade and Regional Media)

Katie Odgaard

Tel: +44 (0)7787 502 947

Email: katie.odgaard@zymecommunications.com



About Horizon Discovery Group plc www.horizondiscovery.com/

Horizon is a revenue-generating life science company supplying research tools to organizations engaged in genomics research and the development of personalized medicines. Horizon has a diverse and international customer base of over 1,000 organizations across nearly 50 countries, including major pharmaceutical, biotechnology and diagnostic companies as well as leading academic research centers. The Company supplies its products and services into multiple markets, estimated to total in excess of £29 billion by 2015.



Horizon's core capabilities are built around its proprietary translational genomics platform, a high-precision and flexible suite of gene editing tools able to alter almost any endogenous gene sequence of human or mammalian cell-lines. Horizon offers almost 14,000 products, almost all of which are based on the application of gene editing to generate cell lines that accurately model the disease-causing mutations found in genetically based diseases. These 'patients-in-a-test-tube' are being used by customers to identify the effect of individual or compound genetic mutations on drug activity, patient responsiveness, and resistance, which may lead to the successful prediction of which patient sub-groups will respond to currently available and future drug treatments.



In addition, Horizon provides GENASSIST™ CRISPR and rAAV gene editing tools, custom cell line generation services for research and bioproduction applications, quantitative molecular reference standards, in vivo disease models, contract research and custom screening services and custom shRNA development services and off-the-shelf validated shRNA (through Horizon's partner Sirion).

Horizon is headquartered in Cambridge, UK, and is listed on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market under the ticker "HZD", for further information please visit: www.horizondiscovery.com.

About Horizon's Bioproduction business

Horizon Bioproduction, part of Horizon Discovery Group plc, is a leading provider of precision engineered off the shelf and custom CHO cell lines. The CHO Source platform delivers a fully engineered and characterized host cell line, ideally suited to the manufacture of recombinant protein therapeutics.



Protein therapeutics represent a significant share of the top 50 drugs globally and are increasingly present in developmental pipelines. The provision and licensing of bioproduction cells for their manufacture, however, can be cost prohibitive especially for smaller organizations, and are often tied to long-term revenue-based licensing terms. Horizon advocates access to state of the art bioproduction cell lines for companies of all sizes, enabling increased efficiency and decreased production costs for any organization with ambitions in the biotherapeutic marketplace, including small to medium biotechs and CMOs.

Preliminary Results
RNS
RNS Number : 1159K
Horizon Discovery Group plc
14 April 2015





RNS Announcement

14th April 2015



Horizon Discovery Group plc

("Horizon" or "the Company")

Unaudited Preliminary Results for the Year Ended 31 December 2014



- Horizon reports strong maiden full year results since listing on AIM

- Product and services revenues increase by 99%

- Gross margin improved to 55%

- Well positioned for next stage of accelerated growth



Cambridge, UK, 14th April 2015: Horizon Discovery Group plc (LSE:HZD) (Horizon), the international life science company providing research tools and services that power genomics research and the development of personalised medicines, is pleased to announce its unaudited preliminary results for the year ended 31st December 2014.



Financial highlights

· Reported revenue increased by 79% to £11.9m (2013: £6.6m) with revenues from products and services growing by 99%

· Gross margin improvement to 55%, up from 52% at the end of 2013

· Research milestone portfolio increased 32% to approximately £158m (2013: £120m) plus royalties

· Operating loss of £5.3m (2013: £2.9m), before exceptional items of £0.8m, as Horizon invests for scale in line with our stated strategy

· Closing cash and cash equivalents of £18.5m (2013: £4.2m)



Corporate highlights

· Raised £68.6m net of expenses including £37.8m of new money for the Company in an IPO on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange

· Acquisition of CombinatoRx service business and assets from Zalicus Inc. for £4.7m

· Acquisition of Sage Labs Inc. for up to $48m (£29m) comprising up to $16m in cash and up to $32m in new ordinary shares

· Post year-end acquisition of Haplogen Genomics GmbH for an initial consideration of £6m, comprising £3m in cash and £3m in new ordinary shares

· Board strengthened with the appointment of Dr. Susan Galbraith, Susan Searle and Dr. David Smoller

· Strategic licensing of two key pieces of CRISPR gene editing intellectual property from ERS Genomics and the Broad Institute and additional rAAV gene editing intellectual property from Stanford University







Operational highlights

· Number of products grew by 186% to 2,750 (2013: 962) and further enhanced to circa 16,500 since year-end following acquisition of Haplogen Genomics

· Headcount increased to 183 (2013: 74)

· Number of customers increased by 171% to 955 (2013: 353) including 30 of the top 50 pharmaceutical companies

· Horizon Discovery Group offices now open in Boston (USA), St Louis (USA), Boyertown (USA) and Vienna (Austria)



Dr. Darrin Disley, CEO and President, Horizon Discovery Group plc, commented: "Horizon has had another strong year of growth underpinning its position as a leader in the field of genome editing and personalized medicine. Since our listing in March 2014, we have successfully delivered upon our international growth strategy, positioning the Company to offer a full spectrum of products and services that impact academic research, drug discovery and development, biomanufacturing and clinical diagnostics from DNA sequence to patient treatment. A combination of strong organic growth and the key complementary acquisitions of CombinatoRx, SAGE® Labs and Haplogen Genomics mean that Horizon is well positioned to deliver further strong revenue growth in the coming year.

"Looking to 2015, we plan further investments in the scaling of our products and services businesses including the development and implementation of new e-Commerce and ERP systems group-wide that will deliver long term value as we continue on our strong growth trajectory. We will also continue to leverage additional non-organic (milestone) value in our research business over the coming years.



"We remain committed to continuing to deliver our strategy of supplying innovative products, services and research that impact the development of personalised medicines and are excited about our prospects for the future as we continue our strategy to build a world class business."



ENDS

Horizon & Thermo Fisher Scientific Sign Agreement
RNS
RNS Number : 6425K
Horizon Discovery Group plc
20 April 2015

RNS

20 April 2015





Horizon Discovery Group plc and Thermo Fisher Scientific Sign
Supply and Commercialisation Agreement



Cambridge, UK, 20 April 2015: Horizon Discovery Group plc (LSE:HZD) (Horizon), the international life science company supplying research tools and services that power genomics research and the development of personalized medicines, today announced it has signed a supply and commercialisation agreement with Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science.

Under the terms of the agreement, Thermo Fisher will market and distribute Horizon's X-MAN human haploid and diploid isogenic cell line collection and will further offer Horizon's X-MAN haploid cell line generation service to its worldwide customer base.

The X-MAN cell line range represents an extensive bank of genetically defined human cell lines - models that accurately exhibit disease-causing genetics, and have undergone a high degree of validation and quality control. These models help researchers to understand how complex genetic diseases manifest themselves, and can reduce the cost of bringing to market new personalized therapies by streamlining many aspects of drug development, including target identification, target validation, assay development, drug screening, lead optimization and biomarker-driven clinical trial design.

The X-MAN catalogue includes both diploid (cells with two natural copies of each gene) cell lines and haploid (proprietary cells engineered to have only one copy of each gene) cell lines developed using Horizon's proprietary precision (rAAV) and high-throughput (HT-CRISPR) genome-editing technologies. Additionally, Horizon offers rapid and low cost on-demand generation of engineered haploid cell lines that for the first time bring these valuable research tools to the 72,000+ research labs studying the basic and applied function of genes and genetic variation.

All of Horizon's X-MAN cell lines are provided as 'isogenic pairs', meaning that each modified cell is provided with a matched control so that when experiments are performed, researchers can attribute differences in experimental results with confidence to the specific genomic modification, which is difficult to do using historical patient-derived cell lines.

Dr. Paul Morrill, President, Products, Horizon Discovery Group plc, commented: "This strategic agreement underscores the value of Horizon's X-MAN cell line collection and gene editing services, and, in particular, highlights the impact Horizon's haploid models are already having on the research community, following the acquisition of Haplogen Genomics GmbH in January 2015. Under this agreement, Thermo Fisher will market these products to researchers worldwide using its e-commerce and direct sales channels."



"Thermo Fisher is committed to providing researchers around the world with the most advanced technologies designed to help them move scientific research forward," said Lalit Dhir, vice president of Strategy, Portfolio & Business Development at Thermo Fisher Scientific. "Our agreement with Horizon Discovery Group is an example of that commitment to our research customers."



ENDS

20 Apr Panmure Gordon 298.00 Buy

23 Apr Panmure Gordon 298.00 Buy

UPDATE - Horizon Discovery Group signs OEM deal with Transgenomic

By John Harrington

April 23 2015, 2:41pm
Horizon’s advanced reference standards are to be used in Transgenomic’s in vitro DNA mutation enrichment kits.
Horizon’s advanced reference standards are to be used in Transgenomic’s in vitro DNA mutation enrichment kits.


---ADDS BROKER COMMENT AND SHARE PRICE---

Horizon Discovery Group (LON:HZD) is to provide human genomic reference standards to assure quality and performance of NASDAQ-listed Transgenomic’s Multiplexed ICE COLD-PCR kits.

The original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreement between the AIM-listed life science company and the global biotechnology company follows a collaborative project initiated last year between Horizon’s Diagnostics division and Transgenomic, which explored the utility of Horizon’s advanced reference standards in Transgenomic’s in vitro DNA mutation enrichment kits. The standards are being used in both quality control and mutation concentration assays.

Transgenomic’s MX-ICP technology offers major advantages for users of current sequencing technologies by delivering a sensitivity improvement of at least 100-fold in comparison to standard methodologies and enriching both known and previously unknown genetic alterations using a single multiplexed assay, Horizon’s stock exchange announcement said.

The ultra-high sensitivity of MX-ICP makes it feasible to conduct comprehensive genomic analyses using either tissue biopsies or liquid samples such as blood or urine.

Dr. Paul Morrill, president of Products at Horizon Discovery Group, said: “To see our relationship with Transgenomic expand into a full OEM relationship after our initial collaboration project is a strong endorsement of Horizon’s expertise in this field.

“We are dedicated to ensuring that cutting edge molecular diagnostic assays, such as those developed by Transgenomic, can demonstrate their true clinical significance and performance,” he added.

“This important relationship is part of our forward strategy to drive sustainable core revenue growth as well as take a scientific leadership role in the field of personalized medicine,” Dr Morrill concluded.

Paul Kinnon, Transgenomic’s president and chief executive officer, said: “Incorporating Horizon’s industry-leading controls into our MX-ICP kits supports our global commercialisation campaign by providing customers and partners additional assurance of the exceptional performance of MX-ICP technology.

“Horizon’s highly characterized and quantitative genomic DNA-based reference standards support the high performance of our MX-ICP technology. We expect that they will be especially valuable in clinical applications.”

Panmure Gordon stuck with its earnings forecasts and repeated its ‘buy’ recommendation after the announcement.

“This further underpins our view with respect to Horizon's strategy in diagnostics, emphasising its role as an enabling partner as the healthcare industry continues to place ever-greater emphasis on personalised and precision medicine,” said analyst Dr Mike Mitchell.

Shares in Horizon Discovery were off 5p at 200p in late afternoon trading.

Trading update
RNS
RNS Number : 4505T
Horizon Discovery Group plc
20 July 2015



Horizon Discovery Group plc



Trading Update



· Half year revenue of circa £8.6 million

· Strong growth in product and service business revenues

· Increased investment in leveraged services and R&D

· Launch of new genetic screening and immuno-oncology offering

· Acquisition and integration of Haplogen Genomics GmbH

· Cash of £33.0 million following £25.0 million share placing (gross of fees)



Cambridge, UK - July 20 2015: Horizon Discovery Group plc (LSE: HZD) ("Horizon" or "the Group"), the international life science group supplying research tools and services that power genomics research and the development of personalised medicines, today announces a trading update for the six months ended 30 June 2015, ahead of its interim results on 22 September 2015.



The Group reports a successful half year in which revenues were circa £8.6 million, 112% ahead of the equivalent period in the prior year (six months to 30 June 2014: £4.1 million). In addition the Group is eligible to receive potential future R&D milestones of up to £158 million plus future product royalties (six months to 30 June 2014: £120 million).



The primary drivers of growth were increased organic revenues in the product business following investment in product development, sales, marketing and distribution and increased organic and inorganic revenues in the service business following integration of the advanced in vivo disease model and drug combination screening service businesses acquired in 2014.



Based on Horizon's typical weighting of revenues towards the second half of the year, and the strength of the forward pipeline, full year revenue is expected to be in line with current consensus market expectations.



Dr. Darrin M. Disley, Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Discovery Group, commented: "Horizon continues to deliver on its business plan and its broader goal of becoming the leading provider of tools and services to customers working at all stages of the genomics research and personalised medicine continuum, from DNA sequence to patient treatment.



"We remain focused on making strategic investments, in particular to scale our products business, run our service business for positive contribution, and deliver longer term value via investment in our leveraged services and R&D portfolio. Our delivery is in line with our stated growth strategy to: deliver sustainable core revenue growth, increase the value of our existing activities, maintain scientific leadership through commercially-focused innovation, and accelerate growth through M&A that provides critical operational mass, new revenue opportunities and opportunities to open new geographic markets.



"We are pleased with our continued progress as we invest in scaling up the business and are confident in delivering continued strong growth in the second half of the year."



Highlights



Products

· Horizon's products business recorded revenue of approximately £3.0 million during the period, representing strong period on period growth and continues to represent an increasing proportion of total group revenues.



· Significant expansion in the cell line and diagnostic reagent product inventory to around 16,500 products (six months to 30 June 2014: around 2,750) driven by internal product development and the integration of the cell line inventory acquired through the acquisition of Haplogen Genomics GmbH in the period.



· Expansion of the sales channel for cell line products in the rapidly growing genomics research market via an agreement signed with Thermo Fisher Scientific that provides global reach and supply into academic laboratories.



· Expansion of sales channel for diagnostic reagent products through Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) partnerships with ArcherDX, CareDx and Transgenomic.



· Significant increase in sales volumes of genomic reference standards, underscoring the value of these products to the development, validation and control of molecular diagnostic tests, an area that is becoming increasingly central to the implementation of personalised medicine.



· Launch of our first commercially available engineered mammalian cell line for use in manufacturing of therapeutic antibodies. The product has generated significant early revenues and is anticipated to be a further driver of growth going forward.



· Investment in scale of the products business in line with stated strategy, including new product development and e-commerce platform to be launched in the second half of the year.





Services

· Services business performance in line with expectations, delivering revenue of approximately £5.4 million, representing significant growth on the previous year, based in part on the successful integration of acquisitions within our core business. The Group is encouraged by the continued development of the full year Services pipeline.



· Increasing contract wins in our custom in vivo model generation service and combination drug screening services to pharmaceutical, biotech and academic customers.



· Launch of new genetic screening services, including on Horizon's CRISPR-Cas9 sgRNA technology platform, has generated several contracts and is expected to be a significant driver of future growth.









Leveraged R&D

· Continued development of the pipeline of leveraged service opportunities that, should they complete as expected, will add significantly to the current £158 million milestone upside (plus product royalties).



· In line with the stated strategy, Horizon continues to invest in its internal R&D activities with the aim of increasing the breadth and depth of the milestone and royalty bearing portfolio.



· Two main areas of focus are the identification of novel cancer targets that exploit vulnerabilities arising from rewiring of cell signaling pathways by cancer-driving mutations and the identification of new immuno-oncology targets and bio therapeutics that enable the immune system to be harnessed to destroy malignant cells in many of the cancer types that have not yet proved treatable. These approaches bring the prospect of novel personalised medicines that could deliver long lasting remissions or even cures to millions of cancer patients.





Corporate update

· £25 million (gross of expenses) raised through a share placing which has provided capability to increase the scale and leverage of our products and services, enhance our global distribution channels and maintain our scientific leadership.



· Key investments to link our commercial and operational infrastructure to support future growth, including a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, e-commerce platform and website, are on schedule.



· Board strengthened through the appointment of Grahame Cook as a Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee.





Outlook

· Horizon has delivered a robust start to the financial year, with strong demand for products and services growing across the business. Based on current trends and the expected second half weighting of revenues, the Group expects continued strong revenue growth and is confident of achieving market consensus expectations for the full year.

20 Jul N+1 Singer N/A Buy
20 Jul Panmure Gordon 270.00 Buy

In-licensing agreement with Servier
RNS
RNS Number : 4518B
Horizon Discovery Group plc
07 October 2015



Horizon Discovery Group plc In-licenses Oncology

Programme from Servier and Enters Option Agreement



· License programme with milestone payments of up to £50 million plus royalties on product sales

· Horizon to in-license novel kinase inhibitor programme from Servier

· Horizon will exploit its translational genomics and combination sciences platform to define optimum approaches to treatment and identify cancer patient populations most likely to respond



Cambridge, UK, 7 October 2015: Horizon Discovery Group plc (LSE: HZD) ("Horizon" or "the Company"), the international life science company supplying research tools and services that power genomics research and the development of personalised medicines, announces today that its leveraged business unit has signed a programme in-licensing and option agreement with Servier, the independent French research-based pharmaceutical company . The agreement is potentially worth over £50 million to Horizon in preclinical and clinical milestones, payments linked to net sales, and tiered royalties on future product sales.



Horizon has in-licensed novel kinase inhibitors from Servier that exhibit great promise based on pre-clinical data for treatment of a range of cancer types but do not currently have a biomarker to define a sensitive patient population. Horizon will use its world-leading platform, comprising isogenic cell lines and in vivo models, CRISPR-Cas9 mediated gene editing technology and ultra-high-throughput combination screening, to identify the population of cancer patients most likely to respond to the in-licensed compounds, whether as single agents or in combinations with other drugs. Horizon also has the option to explore the use of the inhibitors in other therapeutic indications.



Under the terms of the agreement, Servier has a first option to license back the assets. Should Servier take up this option, Horizon would receive up to £50 million in milestone payments plus royalties on product sales. If Servier does not take up its option, Horizon will be free to seek another pharma partner and Horizon and Servier would then share in the success of the progression of the programme as it advances into the clinic and registration.



Horizon will evaluate the mechanism of action of the candidate compounds, and will verify the patient stratification hypothesis by both in vitro and in vivo preclinical experiments. Horizon will also define a path towards the development of biomarkers for both patient stratification and drug efficacy.



Dr. Darrin M. Disley, Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Discovery Group plc, said: "The in-license of assets with a strong pre-clinical pedigree but do not yet have a clear clinical development strategy, represents a great opportunity for companies like Horizon. Demonstrating our scientific leadership through our translational genomics, drug combination and biomarker discovery platforms; we seek to identify genetic markers that predict drug sensitivity enabling programmes like this one to be progressed rapidly into the clinic for defined patient populations. This innovative deal, as part of our strategy to drive accelerated growth, offers significant upside potential for our investors built upon the leverage of our intellectual property, technology platforms and know-how."



Mr Jean Pierre Abastado, Director of Oncology Innovation, Servier, commented: "The long standing collaboration between Servier and Vernalis has led to the discovery of novel kinase inhibitors. Horizon's technology portfolio and expertise makes them ideally positioned to progress these drug candidates into the clinic and to investigate their potential for therapeutic efficacy both alone and in combination therapies. Servier is committed to driving therapeutic progress for the benefit of patients, with partnerships such as this playing a key role."



ENDS

7 Oct N+1 Singer 194.00 Buy
7 Oct Panmure Gordon 270.00 Buy

Preliminary Results for the Year Ended 31 Dec 2015

RNS


RNS Number : 3137W

Horizon Discovery Group plc

26 April 2016




Horizon Discovery Group plc

Preliminary Results for the Year Ended 31 December 2015



· Horizon reports strong full year 2015 results with revenue and EBITDA ahead of consensus

· Revenues grow by 69%

· Research milestone portfolio increased 32%

· Delivery of investments in line with strategic plan is driving financial and operational growth



Cambridge, UK, 26 April 2016: Horizon Discovery Group plc (LSE: HZD) ("Horizon" or "the Company"), the world leader in the application of gene editing technologies, is pleased to announce its preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2015.

Financial highlights

· Total Group revenue increased by 69% to £20.2m (2014: £11.9m)

· Product revenues increased by 124% to £7.8m (2014: £3.5m)

· Services revenues increased by 69% to £12.2m (2014: £7.2m)

· Research milestone portfolio increased 32% to approximately £208m (2014: £158m) plus royalties

· EBITDA loss of £6.6m (2014: £4.0m) ahead of market expectations (see note 2)

· Closing cash and cash equivalents of £25.1m (2014: £18.5m)

Corporate highlights

· Rapid expansion of the product catalogue to over 23,000 genetically-defined cell line and in vivo models, and molecular diagnostic reagents at the end of 2015 (2014: 2,750 products)

· Creation of a fully-integrated life science gene editing services company through the successful integration of recent acquisitions, delivering synergies for our business and customers

· Share placing to raise gross proceeds of £25.0 million for the Company being deployed in targeted investments in scalable infrastructure improvements and scientific leadership

· High profile partnerships signed with leading partners, improving channels to market in product development, research biotech and services businesses

· Board strengthened through the appointment of Grahame Cook as a Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee

Post-period highlights

· Formation of a joint venture, Avvinity Therapeutics, with Centauri Therapeutics Ltd, to explore the development and discovery of novel therapeutics for immuno-oncology

Dr. Darrin Disley, CEO of Horizon Discovery Group plc, commented: "2015 has been characterised by continued strong growth for Horizon by strengthening our core capabilities in the application of gene editing technologies to 'build cells'. This solid foundation has allowed for the rapid expansion of our catalogue to over 23,000 products, including many belonging to our high-growth diagnostic reagents business, and the broadening of our service capabilities with the launch of new drug combination, in vivo and CRISPR screening offers.

"This year has also seen Horizon reinforce our business engine through targeted investments in our internal infrastructure including investment in ecommerce and ERP systems, the successful integration of our acquisitions, and by establishing new channels to market with partnerships with leading organisations such as ThermoFisher and Abcam for our cell lines and through an increasing number of OEM deals for our molecular reference standards.

"Success in the new era of Personalised and Genomic Medicine depends on a precise and deep understanding of patient genetics and an unparalleled expertise in precision gene editing. Horizon is at the forefront of these game-changing areas of medicine, and we remain committed to continuing to deliver our strategy of supplying innovative products, services and research that impact the development of personalised medicines through 2016 and beyond. We are excited about our prospects for the future as we continue to build a world class business."



ENDS

Who Should Attend?Date:

Tuesday 23rd August 2016

Venue:

Novotel Tower Bridge, London EC3N, 10 Pepys Street, London, EC3N 2NR

Event Timings:Sponsored by:

Results out this morning.

The future seems to look extremely promising:

Post-period highlights

-- Strong start to 2017, with Q1 revenue up c25% year on year, underpinning guidance of FY17 revenue between GBP30-35m

-- Immuno-oncology set to be a powerful growth driver generating GBP1.5m in current and ongoing Products and Services in FY17 to date, c40% increase over FY16, and >10 novel drug targets and molecules in development for future or via joint-ventures or spin-outs

-- Exclusive licenses for the use of a novel transposon-based gene editing platform, providing a unique approach to gene editing and DNA delivery and enabling the use of gene editing in bioproduction, diagnostics products and for the first time directly as a cell or gene therapy

-- Signing of a Master Services Agreement with a top three global pharmaceutical company, extending support for their drug discovery and development efforts to Horizon's full suite of services

Share price up more than 50% in 10 weeks since that last post (up 100p)