Unaudited Half Year Results

NEWS RELEASE For immediate release 23 November 2012 The Biotech Growth Trust PLC Unaudited Half Year Results for the six months ended 30 September 2012 Financial Highlights 30 31 % change September March 2012 2012 Net asset value per share 297.0p 250.9p 18.4% Share price 296.0p 236.0p 25.4% Discount of share price to net asset value per 0.3% 5.9% - share NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (sterling adjusted) 920.1 801.1 14.9% Ongoing charges* 1.3% 1.2% - No interim dividend is proposed. The following are attached: * Chairman's Statement * Review of Investments * Principal Contributors to and Detractors from Net Asset Value Performance * Portfolio * Income Statement * Statement of Changes in Equity * Statement of Financial Position * Cash Flow Statement * Notes to the Financial Statements * Interim Management Report This Announcement is not the Company's Half Year report. It is an abridged version of the Company's full Half Year report for the six months ended 30 September 2012. The full Half Year report will be sent to shareholders on 28 November 2012. The full Half Year report, together with a copy of this announcement, will also be available on the Company's website: www.biotechgt.com The Company's Half Year Report & Accounts for the six months ended 30 September 2012 has been submitted to the UK Listing Authority, and will shortly be available for inspection on the National Storage Mechanism (NSM): www.hemscott.com/nsm.do For further information please contact: Mark Pope, Frostrow Capital LLP 020 3008 4913 Chairman's Statement "….The Company 's net asset value per share rose by 18.4% and the share price by 25.4% during the period. This represents a substantial outperformance of both the benchmark and the wider market". PERFORMANCE This is my first statement as Chairman. It is an honour to succeed John Sclater, our founding Chairman. I am delighted to report that against a background of continued economic and political uncertainty, the biotechnology sector has continued its strong performance driven, in part, by an increasing expectation that the sector will continue successfully to develop new drugs. The MSCI World Index fell by 1.0% in sterling terms during the period while the Company's benchmark, the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index, measured in sterling terms, rose by 14.9%. The Company's net asset value per share rose by 18.4% during the period. This represents a substantial outperformance of both the benchmark and the wider market. The Company's share price performed better still, rising by 25.4%, as the discount of the share price to the net asset value per share narrowed from 5.9% at 31 March 2012 to 0.3% at 30 September 2012. I am pleased to report that the Company won the Specialist Category at the 2012 Investment Week Investment Company of the Year Awards; our Manager, Frostrow Capital LLP, also won the Specialist Group of the Year award. In addition, for the second year in succession, our Investment Manager OrbiMed Capital LLC, won the techMark Technology Fund Manager of the Year award for its management of the Company's portfolio. Further information on investment performance and the outlook for the Company is given in the Review of Investments. CAPITAL STRUCTURE The Board has continued to implement its policy of active discount management and to buy back shares for cancellation when the discount of the share price against the net asset value per share is greater than 6%. During the six months under review the Company repurchased a total of 19,079 shares for cancellation at a cost of £47,000 (including expenses). However, I am pleased to report that as a result of the Company's strong performance, we have been able to issue 835,000 new shares during the six months under review at a price representing a small premium to net asset value per share. The shares were issued under shareholder authority and raised £ 2,344,000 of new funds for the Company. REVENUE AND DIVIDENDS The revenue profit for the period was £18,000 (six months ended 30 September 2011: loss of £170,000) and no interim dividend is declared (six months ended 30 September 2011: nil). OUTLOOK The development of new products and the prospect of merger and acquisition activity continue to be key drivers for the biotechnology sector. The Board remains confident on the prospects for the sector with the portfolio being well positioned to benefit from this activity. Our Investment Manager's focus remains on the selection of stocks with strong prospects for capital enhancement and we reiterate our belief that the long-term investor in the sector will be well rewarded. THE RT HON LORD WALDEGRAVE OF NORTH HILL CHAIRMAN 23 NOVEMBER 2012 Review of Investments "...The biotechnology sector strongly outperformed the broader markets during the review period." PERFORMANCE We are pleased to report that the Company's net asset value per share increased 18.4% during the six month period ended 30 September 2012. This compares to a 14.9% increase in the Company's benchmark, the sterling-adjusted NASDAQ Biotechnology Index. The Company's share price increased 25.4% during the period. Top contributors to performance in the portfolio were Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Gilead Sciences, Affymax, Amgen, and Infinity Pharmaceuticals. • Onyx Pharmaceuticals shares increased following the U.S. approval of its myeloma drug, Kyprolis. Due to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) having previously expressed reluctance to consider the drug due to the design of the clinical trials, the positive FDA advisory panel vote and the ultimate approval came as a surprise to the market. With Kyprolis as a fully owned asset, Nexavar as a co-marketed product for liver and kidney cancer, and a royalty interest in Stivarga for colorectal cancer, we believe Onyx is also an attractive acquisition target. • Shares of Gilead Sciences rose over the period due to positive data announced in April for their lead hepatitis C drug GS-7977. Investor confidence in the drug's best-in-class profile has continued to increase as other companies have terminated competing programmes due to toxicity concerns. Gilead also received approval for Stribild, a four-drug regimen for HIV. • Shares of Affymax increased over the period due to increasing optimism about the launch of their recently approved anemia drug Omontys. The company was able to secure an initial supply contract with the dialysis chain Fresenius, which could potentially pave the way for eventual adoption of Omontys by one-third of U.S. dialysis clinics. • Amgen shares increased due to consistent low-risk earnings growth supported by share buybacks and a secure dividend yield. Investors view the company as having a compelling valuation relative to large pharmaceutical companies. • Infinity Pharmaceuticals, a recent addition to the portfolio, was also a top contributor. Infinity is developing a PI3 kinase delta/gamma inhibitor for haematological cancers. The stock increased after the company announced that the initial clinical trial had demonstrated a response at the lowest doses tested along with an adequate safety profile. We look forward to seeing the full proof of concept data presented at the American Society of Haematology meeting in December. Key detractors from performance were from positions in Idenix Pharmaceuticals, 3SBio, Salix Pharmaceuticals, and Incyte Genomics. • Idenix Pharmaceuticals' shares declined due to the company's lead drug candidate being placed on clinical hold by the U.S. FDA. The compound, a polymerase inhibitor for hepatitis C, is structurally related to a compound discontinued by Bristol-Myers Squibb due to significant cardiac toxicity seen in clinical trials. We exited the position on the news, as it is unclear if the company will be able to restart the programme. • Shares of 3SBio declined due to increasing investor concerns about possible government-mandated price cuts on its lead anemia drug EPIAO. Recently the company's management team proposed a buyout offer for all the shares they do not already own, suggesting they view the asset as undervalued. • Salix Pharmaceuticals' shares were weak due to the FDA rejection of their supplemental drug application for Relistor for Opioid induced constipation in chronic pain. We expect that the company will be able to address the FDA's concerns. • Incyte Genomics declined due to disappointing 2012 guidance for its recently launched product, Jakafi for Myelofibrosis. The launch of Jakafi had been off to a good start in fourth quarter of 2011 and in the first quarter of 2012. However, the company disclosed that many of the initial patients prescribed the drug were sicker than expected, causing a higher than expected discontinuation rate. We believe that the guidance was conservative, and that the patients prescribed Jakafi more recently have a more favourable prognosis. Therefore we expect the sales trajectory to improve. OUTLOOK The biotechnology sector strongly outperformed the broader market during the review period. The outperformance was broad-based, with strong performance from large-capitalisation stocks which benefitted from strong financial performance and favourable valuations compared to their pharmaceutical peers, and from smaller-capitalisation stocks which benefitted from positive pipeline advancement and the increase in merger and acquisition activity beginning last year. We expect the positive momentum in the sector to be sustained, driven by clinical catalysts and new product launches. Specifically with regard to drug launches for portfolio companies, we highlight the following recently launched products: • Medivation and partner Astellas recently launched Xtandi for advanced prostate cancer. This drug has shown impressive efficacy in late stage patients. We expect strong demand for the drug in its labeled indication. Over the longer term we expect this drug to have multi-billion dollar potential as it is used in earlier stage patients with longer duration of therapy. • In September, VIVUS launched Qsymia for obesity in the U.S. This drug combination is the first obesity drug to reach the market in 13 years. Clinical trials have shown that patients lose about 10% of their body weight after a year of treatment. We expect this drug to have good gradual adoption into this large market. • Onyx recently launched Kyprolis for refractory myeloma. Initial feedback suggests a robust uptake into that market. We expect positive clinical trial data in earlier line use in combination with Revlimid in 2013 which should significantly grow the drug's potential. On the regulatory front, in June the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against a challenge to the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare") that could have invalidated the entire law. Readers may recall that we have previously maintained that the Affordable Care Act's expansion of coverage with manageable cost control has not had a major negative effect on the biotechnology sector. The focus in November then turned to the U.S. Presidential election and, despite a late run in the polls by Governor Romney, President Obama was re-elected. With regard to the U.S. legislature, the Republican Party maintained control of the House of Representatives with slightly fewer seats while the Democrats maintained control of the Senate, actually increasing their number of seats. The net result was status quo, and therefore we expect the impact to be minor for the biotechnology sector. The number of holdings in the portfolio remains approximately 40. The geographic distribution of investments is 90% North America, 5% Europe and 5% Asia. Currently approximately 40% of the Company's assets are invested in major capitalisation companies, and 60% are invested in small and mid-capitalisation companies. We continue to see many opportunities within the sector and look forward to updating investors in the future. SVEN BORHO ORBIMED CAPITAL LLC INVESTMENT MANAGER 23 NOVEMBER 2012 Principal Contributors to and Detractors from Net Asset Value Performance for the six months to 30 September 2012 Contribution for the period to Contribution Top Five Contributors 30 September 2012 £'000 per share (pence)* 1 Onyx Pharmaceutical 5,306 8.5 2 Gilead Sciences 4,327 6.9 3 Affymax 2,508 4.0 4 Amgen 2,469 3.9 5 Infinity Pharmaceuticals 2,178 3.5 16,788 26.8 Top Five Detractors 1 Idenix Pharmaceuticals (661) (1.0) 2 3SBio (535) (0.9) 3 Salix Pharmaceuticals (468) (0.7) 4 Incyte Genomics (413) (0.7) 5 Celgene (412) (0.7) (2,489) (4.0) *based on 62,541,679 ordinary shares being the weighted average number of shares in issue during the period ended 30 September 2012 Source: Frostrow Capital LLP Portfolio as at 30 september 2012 Fair Value % of Security Country £'000 Investments Gilead Sciences United States 17,578 9.8 Amgen United States 13,338 7.4 Onyx Pharmaceutical United States 9,958 5.5 Alexion Pharmaceuticals United States 8,531 4.7 Perrigo United States 8,474 4.7 Celgene United States 7,755 4.4 Incyte Genomics United States 7,500 4.2 Biogen Idec United States 7,336 4.1 Infinity United States 7,278 4.1 Pharmaceuticals Illumina United States 6,446 3.6 Top 10 investments 94,194 52.5 Actelion Switzerland 5,491 3.1 Regeneron United States 5,313 3.0 Pharmaceutical Life Technologies United States 5,264 2.9 Ariad Pharmaceuticals United States 5,175 2.9 Affymax United States 4,956 2.8 Medivation United States 4,877 2.7 Impax Laboratories United States 4,580 2.5 Cubist Pharmaceutical United States 4,261 2.4 Affymetrix United States 4,215 2.3 Fluidigm United States 4,046 2.3 Top 20 investments 142,372 79.4 Exact Sciences United States 3,998 2.2 Neurocrine Biosciences United States 3,928 2.2 Ono Pharmaceutical Japan 3,769 2.1 3SBio China 3,446 1.9 Mylan United States 2,852 1.6 Array Biopharma United States 2,842 1.6 BioMarin Pharmaceutical United States 2,644 1.5 Immunogen United States 1,991 1.1 Algeta Norway 1,985 1.1 Orbimed Asia Partners L.P. (unquoted) Far East 1,861 1.0 Top 30 investments 171,688 95.7 All of the above investments are equities unless otherwise stated. Portfolio (continued) Fair Value % of Security Country £'000 Investments Salix Pharmaceuticals United States 1,836 1.0 VIVUS United States 1,246 0.7 Endocyte United States 1,194 0.7 Bavarian Nordic Denmark 1,149 0.6 Auxilium Pharmaceuticals United States 908 0.5 Oncothyreon United States 794 0.4 Medivir Sweden 426 0.2 Verastem United States 395 0.2 Trius Therapeutics Wts 24/ United States 41 - 05/2016* Total investments 179,677 100.0 All of the above investments are equities unless otherwise stated. *warrants Income Statement for the six months ended 30 September 2012 (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Audited) Six months ended Six months ended Year ended 30 September 2012 30 September 2011 31 March 2012 Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total Note £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Investment Income Investment income 2 328 - 328 85 - 85 196 - 196 Total income 328 - 328 85 - 85 196 - 196 Gains and losses on investments Gains/(losses) on - 30,873 30,873 - (1,199) (1,199) - 44,214 44,214 investments held at fair value through profit or loss Exchange (losses) - (204) (204) - 351 351 - (228) (228) /gains on currency balances Expenses Investment 3 - (1,797) (1,797) - (857) (857) - (3,158) (3,158) management, management and performance fees Other expenses (286) - (286) (225) - (225) (459) - (459) Profit/(loss) 42 28,872 28,914 (140) (1,705) (1,845) (263) 40,828 40,565 before finance costs and taxation Finance costs - (13) (13) (18) - (18) (19) - (19) Profit/(loss) 42 28,859 28,901 (158) (1,705) (1,863) (282) 40,828 40,546 before taxation Taxation (24) - (24) (12) - (12) (27) 40,828 (27) Profit/(loss) for 18 28,859 28,877 (170) (1,705) (1,875) (309) 40,828 40,519 the period/year Basic and diluted 4 0.0p 46.1p 46.1p (0.3)p (2.6)p (2.9)p (0.5)p 64.1p 63.6p earnings/(loss) per share The Company does not have any income or expenses which are not included in the profit for the period. Accordingly the "profit/(loss) for the period" is also the "Total comprehensive income for the period", as defined in IAS 1 (revised) and no separate Statement of Comprehensive Income has been presented. All of the profit/(loss) and total Comprehensive Income for the period is attributable to the owners of the Company. The total column of the statement is the Income Statement of the Company prepared in accordance with IFRS. The supplementary revenue and capital columns are presented for information purposes as recommended by the Statement of Recommended Practice issued by the Association of Investment Companies. All items in the above statement derive from continuing operations. No operations were acquired or discontinued in the period. Statement of Changes in Equity Ordinary Share Capital Share Premium Special Redemption Capital Revenue (Unaudited) Capital Account Reserve Reserve Reserve Reserve Total Six months ended 30 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 September 2012 At 31 March 2012 15,560 19,300 25,214 5,572 94,139 (3,654) 156,131 Net profit for period - - - - 28,859 18 28,877 Issue of new shares 209 2,135 - - - - 2,344 Repurchase of own (5) - (47) 5 - - (47) shares At 30 September 2012 15,764 21,435 25,167 5,577 122,998 (3,636) 187,305 Ordinary Share Capital Share Premium Special Redemption Capital Revenue (Unaudited) Capital Account Reserve Reserve Reserve Reserve Total Six months ended 30 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 September 2011 At 31 March 2011 16,239 19,300 30,420 4,893 53,311 (3,345) 120,818 Net loss for period - - - - (1,705) (170) (1,875) Repurchase of own (271) - (1,947) 271 - - (1,947) shares At 30 September 2011 15,968 19,300 28,473 5,164 51,606 (3,515) 116,996 Ordinary Share Capital Share Premium Special Redemption Capital Revenue (Audited) Capital Account Reserve Reserve Reserve Reserve Total Year ended 31 March £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 2012 At 31 March 2011 16,239 19,300 30,420 4,893 53,311 (3,345) 120,818 Net profit/(loss) for the year - - - - 40,828 (309) 40,519 Repurchase of own shares (679) - (5,206) 679 - - (5,206) At 31 March 2012 15,560 19,300 25,214 5,572 94,139 (3,654) 156,131 Statement of Financial Position as at 30 September 2012 (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Audited) 30 September 30 September 31 March 2012 2011 2012 Note £'000 £'000 £'000 Non current assets Investments held at fair value 179,677 112,731 161,655 through profit or loss Current assets Other receivables 1,072 5,466 213 Cash and cash equivalents 11,931 3,870 - 13,003 9,336 213 Total assets 192,680 122,067 161,868 Current liabilities Other payables 5,375 5,071 5,737 5,375 5,071 5,737 Net assets 187,305 116,996 156,131 Equity attributable to equity holders Ordinary share capital 15,764 15,968 15,560 Share premium account 21,435 19,300 19,300 Special reserve 25,167 28,473 25,214 Capital redemption reserve 5,577 5,164 5,572 Capital reserve 122,998 51,606 94,139 Revenue reserve (3,636) (3,515) (3,654) Total equity 187,305 116,996 156,131 Net asset value per share 5 297.0p 183.2p 250.9p Cash Flow Statement for the six months ended 30 September 2012 (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Audited) Six months Six months Year ended ended ended 30 September 30 September 31 March 2012 2011 2012 £'000 £'000 £'000 Net cash inflow/(outflow) from 10,020 (298) (439) operating activities (note 6) Net cash inflow/(outflow) before 10,020 (298) - financing Net cash inflow/(outflow) from 2,297 (1,874) (5,206) financing activities Net increase/(decrease) in cash and 12,317 (2,172) (5,645) cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents at start of (182) 5,691 5,691 period Realised (losses)/gains on foreign (204) 351 (228) currency Cash and cash equivalents at period 11,931 3,870 (182) end Notes to the Financial Statements 1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES The condensed financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). These comprise standards and interpretations approved by the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB"), together with interpretations of the International Accounting Standards and Standing Interpretations Committee approved by the International Accounting Standards Committee ("IASC") that remain in effect, to the extent that IFRS have been adopted by the European Union. The same accounting policies used for the year ended 31 March 2012 have been applied. 2. INCOME (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Audited) Six months Six months ended Year ended ended 30 September 30 September 31 March 2012 2011 2012 £'000 £'000 £'000 Overseas income 328 85 196 Total income 328 85 196 3. INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, MANAGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE FEES (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Audited) Six months ended Six months ended Year ended 30 September 30 September 31 March 2012 2011 2012 £'000 £'000 £'000 Investment management fee 581 397 856 Management fee 271 176 379 Performance fee accrued in the 945 284 1,923 period/year* 1,797 857 3,158 *In accordance with the performance fee arrangements described on pages 17 and 18 of the 2012 Annual Report, a performance fee of £2,320,000 was accrued at the period end (six months ended 30 September 2011: £284,000; year ended 31 March 2012: £1,640,000). During the period an amount of £265,000 crystallised and was paid. Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) 4. EARNINGS/(LOSS) PER SHARE The earnings/(loss) per share figure is based on the net gain for the six months of £28,877,000 (six months ended 30 September 2011: £1,875,000 loss; year ended 31 March 2012: £40,519,000 gain) and on 62,541,679 shares, (six months ended 30 September 2011: 64,268,350 and year ended 31 March 2012: 63,666,908) being the weighted average number of shares in issue during the period. The earnings/(loss) per share detailed above can be further analysed between revenue and capital as follows: (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Audited) Six months Six months Year ended ended ended 30 September 30 September 31 March 2012 2011 2012 £'000 £'000 £'000 Net revenue gain/(loss) 18 (170) (309) Net capital gain/(loss) 28,859 (1,705) 40,828 Net total gain/(loss) 28,877 (1,875) 40,519 Weighted average number of shares in issue during the period/year 62,541,679 64,268,350 63,666,908 Pence Pence Pence Revenue earnings/(loss) per share 0.0 (0.3) (0.5) Capital earnings/(loss) per share 46.1 (2.6) 64.1 Total earnings/(loss) per share 46.1 (2.9) 63.6 5. NET ASSET VALUE PER SHARE The net asset value per share is based on the net assets attributable to equity shareholders of £187,305,000 (30 September 2011: £116,996,000; 31 March 2012: £ 156,131,000) and on 63,056,347 shares, (30 September 2011: 63,870,537; 31 March 2012: 62,240,426) being the number of shares in issue at the period end. Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) 6. RECONCILIATION OF PROFIT/(LOSS) BEFORE TAXATION TO NET CASH INFLOW/(OUTFLOW) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Audited) Six months Six months Year ended ended ended 30 September 30 September 31 March 2012 2011 2012 £'000 £'000 £'000 Profit/(loss) before taxation 28,901 (1,863) 40,546 (Gains)/losses on investments held at fair value through profit or loss (30,669) 848 (43,986) Movements in investments held at fair value through profit or loss 11,128 417 1,236 (Increase)/decrease in other (47) 33 9 receivables Increase in other payables 707 267 1,756 Net cash inflow/(outflow) 10,020 (298) (439) 7. TRANSACTION COSTS Purchase and sale transaction costs for the six months ended 30 September 2012 were £196,000 (six months ended 30 September 2011: £229,000; year ended 31 March 2012: £597,000). These costs comprise mainly of commission costs. 8. COMPARATIVE INFORMATION The financial information contained in this half year report does not constitute statutory accounts as defined in section 435(1) of the Companies Act 2006. The financial information for the six months ended 30 September 2012 and 2011 has not been audited, or reviewed by the auditors. The information for the year ended 31 March 2012 has been extracted from the latest published audited financial statements. The audited financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2012 have been filed with the Registrar of the Companies. The report of the auditors on those accounts was unqualified, did not include a reference to any matters to which the auditors drew attention by way of emphasis without qualifying the report and did not contain statements under section 498 of the Companies Act 2006. Interim Management Report PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES A review of the half year, including reference to the risks and uncertainties that existed during the period, and the outlook for the Company can be found in the Chairman's Statement beginning on page 3 and in the Review of Investments beginning on page 4. The principal risks faced by the Company fall into ten broad categories: objective and strategy; level of discount/premium; portfolio performance; operational and regulatory; market price risk; liquidity risk; shareholder profile; currency risk; the risk associated with the Company's loan facility; and credit risk. Information on each of these areas is given in the Business Review within the annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2012. In the view of the Board these principal risks and uncertainties are applicable to the remaining six months of the financial year as they were to the six months under review. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS During the first six months of the current financial year, no transactions with related parties have taken place which have materially affected the financial position or the performance of the Company. DIRECTORS' RESPONSIBILITIES The Board of Directors confirms that, to the best of its knowledge: i. the condensed set of financial statements contained within the Half Year Report has been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards; and ii. the interim management report includes a fair review of the information required by 4.2.7R and 4.2.8R of the UK Listing Authority and Transparency Rules. The Half Year Report has not been reviewed or audited by the Company's auditors. The Half Year Report was approved by the Board on 23 November 2012 and the above responsibility statement was signed on its behalf by: THE RT HON LORD WALDEGRAVE OF NORTH HILL CHAIRMAN Frostrow Capital LLP Company Secretary 23 November 2012
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