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Incanthera PLC on Thursday appointed a new chief executive, who will provide the company with funding to support a new acquisition. The Manchester, England-based developer of technologies in dermatology and oncology has appointed Stuart Robertson as CEO, effective from Thursday. Simon Ward will step down from the role, and transition to chief scientific officer, from Wednesday. Robertson is the founder of Giffries Technology AG, which owns Swiss skincare brand Enielle. Incanthera has agreed to buy Enielle, noting its ‘complementary premium skincare platform which is strategically aligned with Skin+CELL and capable of supporting the company’s retail strategy’. It hopes the acquisition will enable cross-selling and help monetise the wider group’s inventory. Incanthera is paying for Enielle through the issue of 54.0 million new shares at 2 pence each. This includes 13.8 million consideration shares and 40.2 million deferred shares, conditional on performance metrics. No cash consideration is payable, bar any costs related to the acquisition. As part of this restructuring, Robertson is providing a £250,000 convertible loan note facility with a maturity date of two years, of which Incanthera plans to draw down £100,000 immediately. ‘The board believes the transaction provides the company with an opportunity to accelerate commercial revenues through an expanded premium skincare offering while preserving near-term cash resources,’ it said. Incanthera also noted that Chair Tim McCarthy is stepping down ‘to concentrate on his other business interests’. McCarthy is CEO of Immupharma PLC, a London-based specialist drug discovery and development company, which noted Incanthera’s announcement on Thursday. Incanthera shares traded 41% higher at 1.85 pence on Thursday afternoon on the Aquis Exchange. Immupharma shares fell 3.7% to 4.43p on Thursday afternoon in London. McCarthy commented: ‘It has been a privilege to work alongside the Board and executive team for the last 12 years. The company has a rich scientific heritage and with the new product acquisition together with Skin+CELL the future under Stuart’s leadership looks extremely promising.’ Incoming CEO Robertson added: ‘I am excited to join the company at this pivotal time in its science led journey to providing better skin health for people around the world. In my role I hope I can bring a new strategic and commercial vision and help the company drive this forward together with the Incanthera team.’ Going forward, Incanthera plans to ‘pursue a more aggressive multi-channel sales strategy’, it said. This means reviewing its wholesale and retail pricing, particularly in relation to US tariffs, and seeking out ‘new distribution opportunities with more established technology and industry players’. Copyright 2026 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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