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

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)