Preliminary Results

Oxford Biomedica PLC 14 March 2006 For Immediate Release 14 MARCH 2006 OXFORD BIOMEDICA PLC PRELIMINARY RESULTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2005 Oxford, UK - 14 March 2006: Oxford BioMedica (LSE: OXB), the leading gene therapy company, today announces its preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2005. Operational highlights: TroVax(R) (cancer) • Initial analyses of results from Phase II trials in metastatic colorectal cancer with chemotherapy suggest that TroVax improves survival as well as tumour response rate • Initial results from Phase II trials in renal cell carcinoma with interleukin-2 showed good safety and strong immune responses (initial tumour response data from the first few patients will be published at the time of ASCO, June 2006) • Phase III pivotal study protocol for renal cell carcinoma submitted to FDA • Entered discussions with QUASAR on proposed Phase III trial in Stage II/III colorectal cancer MetXia(R) (cancer) • Results from stage one of the Phase II trial in pancreatic cancer confirmed the product's safety and tolerability and showed dose-related gene transfer at the tumour site • Stage two dose escalation of cyclophosphamide progressing according to plan Targeted Antibody Therapy (cancer) • Wyeth presented preclinical data showing encouraging efficacy, including improved survival in a lung cancer model ProSavin(R) (Parkinson's disease) • Preclinical studies confirmed previous conclusions on safety and showed that the product induces almost full recovery to the most recent time point of 20 weeks RetinoStat(R) (retinopathy) • Preclinical results from studies conducted with the Institute of Ophthalmology and Johns Hopkins University showed statistically significant efficacy Technology licensing • Strategic alliance with Sigma-Aldrich to develop and commercialise LentiVector(R)-RNAi reagents • Licensing agreements for the LentiVector technology for research applications with Pfizer and two undisclosed global biopharmaceutical companies Financial highlights: • Revenue £0.8 million: increased £0.3 million (64%) over 2004 • Operating expenses £12.2 million: £1.2 million (9%) less than 2004 • Loss for the year £9.1 million: £1.4 million (13%) less than 2004 • Cash burn £7.7 million: £2.0 million (21%) less than 2004 • Total of £29.0 million raised from issue of shares in 2005 • Year end cash, cash equivalents and current asset investments £43.8 million (2004: £22.4 million) Board changes: • Dr Mike McDonald, Chief Medical Officer appointed on 2 February 2006 • Raj Uppal, Non-Executive Director, resigned from the Board on 13 March 2006 Professor Bob Hawkins, Clinical Director of Medical Oncology at the Christie Hospital in Manchester and Principal Investigator for several TroVax trials commented on the data from the Phase II studies of TroVax with chemotherapy, saying: 'The data using TroVax in combination with chemotherapy in colorectal cancer look very encouraging particularly considering the size of the study. If these data were reproduced in a suitably powered pivotal study then they would likely support an efficacy claim in a license application.' Commenting on the annual results, Oxford BioMedica's Chief Executive, Professor Alan Kingsman said: 'We are very pleased to report strong progress across the entire development portfolio and in our licensing and business development activities during 2005. Our lead candidate, TroVax, continues to report promising results in clinical trials and we look forward to reporting more data at ASCO in June 2006. The preliminary analysis of patient survival in the Phase II colorectal cancer trials is encouraging and these data add further value as we progress our deal discussions. We remain focussed on achieving our key objectives of securing a commercial partner for TroVax and commencing Phase III trials. The fund raising in 2005 provides us with the financial strength to add value to our programmes while pursuing licensing deals and product collaborations.' Analyst meeting and web cast: An analyst briefing will be held at 10:00 am today at the offices of Buchanan Communications, 45 Moorfields, London EC2. Simultaneously to the analyst briefing at 10.00 am, there will be a live audio web cast of the results presentation. To connect to the web cast facility, please go to the Company's website: http://www.oxfordbiomedica.co.uk/ approximately 10 minutes (09:50 am) before the start of the briefing. This will also be available for replay shortly after the presentation. -Ends- For further information, please contact: Oxford BioMedica plc: Professor Alan Kingsman, Chief Executive Tel: +44 (0)1865 783 000 City/Financial Enquiries: Lisa Baderoon/ Mark Court/ Mary-Jane Johnson Buchanan Tel: +44 (0)20 7466 5000 Communications Scientific/Trade Press Enquiries: Katja Stout/ Gemma Bradley Tel: +44 (0)20 7886 8150 Northbank Communications Notes to editors: 1. Oxford BioMedica Oxford BioMedica (LSE: OXB) is a biopharmaceutical company specialising in the development of novel gene-based therapeutics with a focus on the areas of oncology and neurotherapy. The Company was established in 1995 as a spin out from Oxford University, and is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Oxford BioMedica has core expertise in gene delivery, as well as in-house clinical, regulatory and manufacturing know-how. In oncology, the pipeline includes an immunotherapy and a gene therapy in multiple Phase II trials, and a preclinical targeted antibody therapy in collaboration with Wyeth. In neurotherapy, the Company's lead product is a gene therapy for Parkinson's disease, which is expected to enter clinical trials in 2006, and four further preclinical candidates. The Company is underpinned by over 80 patent families, which represent one of the broadest patent estates in the field. The Company has a staff of approximately 70 split between its main facilities in Oxford and its wholly owned subsidiary, BioMedica Inc, in San Diego, California. Oxford BioMedica has corporate collaborations with Wyeth, Intervet, Sigma-Aldrich, Viragen, MolMed, Virxsys and Kiadis; and has licensed technology to a number of companies including Merck & Co, Biogen Idec and Pfizer. Further information is available at www.oxfordbiomedica.co.uk CHAIRMAN'S REPORT The year 2005 was a breakthrough for Oxford BioMedica. The Company achieved a number of 'firsts'. These included: first Phase II results with TroVax(R) in renal cell carcinoma; first Phase II results of TroVax in the adjuvant setting of colorectal cancer; first discussions with the FDA regarding Phase III development of TroVax; first Phase II results of MetXia(R) in pancreatic cancer; first preclinical efficacy data from the Company's partner Wyeth for the targeted antibody cancer therapy; and first strategic alliance to develop and commercialise LentiVector(R)-based systems. During 2005, the Company also reported further encouraging results from the Phase II trials of TroVax in colorectal cancer, more preclinical proof of principle data from the neurotherapy portfolio and licensing agreements for the LentiVector technology with Pfizer and two leading biopharmaceutical companies. I am pleased to announce that we have achieved this development progress while also maintaining firm financial control. Total operating expenses were £1.2 million lower than 2004. As a result of higher tax credit receipts, the cash burn (total of net cash used in operating activities and capital expenditure) for 2005 was £2.0 million less than 2004 at £7.7 million (2004: £9.7 million). In December 2005, we were delighted that new and existing investors supported a successful share offering, which raised £30.1 million before expenses including an investment of £2.9 million by Sigma-Aldrich. The Directors believe that the Company's cash and bank deposits at the end of 2005 of £43.8 million provide the financial strength to deliver on our objectives to add further value to the pipeline and to secure the anticipated commercial collaborations for our lead products. The financial report for 2005 is the Company's first report to be prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). I am grateful to all those that have supported and contributed to Oxford BioMedica during the year. We welcome our eight new staff who joined during the year, in particular, Dr Mike McDonald, who was appointed in September 2005 to the new position of Chief Medical Officer. Mike brings considerable experience in clinical development and regulatory affairs from 20 years in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry and has already made a significant contribution to the progress of TroVax. In February 2006, Mike joined the Board as an Executive Director. I would also like to thank Raj Uppal, one of our Non-Executive Directors, who resigned from the Board on 13 March 2006. Raj has made a valuable contribution to the Board and has been an excellent source of advice over the years, having joined the Board in February 2001. I would also like to recognise the support and commitment shown to Oxford BioMedica by our partners. In particular during 2005, I would like to thank our new strategic alliance partner, Sigma-Aldrich, and our three new technology licensees, Pfizer and two leading biopharmaceutical companies, and I would like to congratulate Wyeth on its progress with the targeted antibody therapy. Also, as ever, I want to thank our dedicated staff for their efforts during the year, without whom we would not be able to report such significant achievements. Dr Peter Johnson CHAIRMAN OPERATING REVIEW The Company's core development pipeline is focused on treatments for cancer and neurobiological diseases. Two products are in clinical trials and a further three candidates are expected to enter clinical development in 2006-07. The internal pipeline of seven product candidates has attracted considerable support from research and clinical funding agencies as well as charitable organisations, which have provided grants or services in kind. A further two products are in development with commercial partners. Oxford BioMedica established an active licensing programme for its suite of gene-delivery technologies in early 2004. This initiative has secured nine licensees or partners to date, including Pfizer and Sigma-Aldrich during 2005. ONCOLOGY The oncology pipeline exploits the expertise of the Company and its partners in tumour biology, immunology and product development. It comprises three major product candidates as well as a product for treating cancer in companion animals. These novel cancer therapies are designed to deliver a combination of improved efficacy and safety over existing treatments. The in-house cancer pipeline is focussed on TroVax and MetXia, which have both generated encouraging clinical results in 2005. The Company has two main goals within the TroVax programme. The first is to secure a commercial partner and the second is to maintain the planned product registration date of 2009. For MetXia, the Company expects to report further clinical data in 2006 and to open discussions with regulatory authorities and potential partners. The Company's partners, Wyeth and Intervet, made progress with their respective cancer programmes during 2005. Product optimisation and preparations for clinical/field trials are expected to be completed during 2006 for both candidates. TroVax(R) TroVax is Oxford BioMedica's lead cancer immunotherapy product candidate. It is designed to stimulate a specific anti-cancer immune response and has potential application in many tumour types. The product induces an immune response against the tumour antigen 5T4, which is broadly distributed throughout a wide range of solid tumours. The product consists of a pox virus (MVA) gene-transfer system, which delivers the gene for 5T4. MVA is known to induce the breaking of immune tolerance to self antigens, such as 5T4, that are expressed from this gene-delivery system. Over 100 patients have now been treated with TroVax in six clinical trials (collectively over 400 doses). TroVax has attracted external support from Cancer Research UK and the US National Cancer Institute. These organisations are conducting or plan to conduct clinical trials with TroVax, which would otherwise cost Oxford BioMedica the equivalent of approximately US$5.5 million. There are five Phase II trials of TroVax ongoing, three in colorectal cancer and two in renal cell carcinoma. In 2004, recruitment was completed in Phase II trials of TroVax in first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer alongside irinotecan-based (IFL) and oxaliplatin-based (FOLFOX) chemotherapy. The complete safety and immunology data from 23 'per protocol' patients from these two trials were presented at the International Colorectal Cancer Congress in Aventura, Florida, USA, in October 2005. These data showed that the primary endpoints of safety and anti-tumour immunological responses were achieved, and confirmed the excellent safety profile of TroVax with no serious adverse events being attributed to the product. All 23 patients mounted an anti-tumour immune response following TroVax treatment and these responses were, on average, of higher magnitude and longer duration than those seen in later stage patients in the Company's previously completed Phase I/II trial in colorectal cancer. This suggests that the chemotherapy regimens do not impair the ability of TroVax to elicit an anti-tumour response and, in fact, may enhance some aspects of the response. The Company is particularly encouraged by the high frequency and level of anti-5T4 cytotoxic (killer) T-cells (CD8) induced by TroVax. Over 70% of the patients showed identifiable CD8 responses. In some patients, the CD8 levels were comparable with the high levels that are generally only seen in response to viral infections. This was the first comprehensive demonstration by the Company that TroVax induces the production of these cells, which are generally regarded by the industry as being the key anti-tumour effectors. This observation alone has increased the interest of potential partners in TroVax. In the two Phase II trials of TroVax with chemotherapy, the secondary endpoint of clinical benefit exceeded the Directors' expectation from their assessment of previously reported data for chemotherapy alone. Based on unaudited data across both trials, 91% of per protocol patients, who received TroVax with chemotherapy, showed disease control: 17% had complete responses; 49% had partial responses; and 25% had stable disease. These figures are based on CT scan data according to industry-standard criteria for measuring tumour response, known as Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours (RECIST). There were differences between the results for the two chemotherapy regimens. In the TroVax plus IFL trial, 58% of patients showed complete or partial responses according to RECIST. In the TroVax plus FOLFOX trial, 73% showed complete or partial responses. Although these trials were small in terms of patient numbers and were not designed with control arms, the Directors believe that these levels of clinical benefit are encouraging when compared to published trial data for chemotherapy alone in similar settings. Interestingly, like the earlier Phase I/ II study, there was a trend showing a relationship between clinical benefit and immune response. In the TroVax plus FOLFOX trial, an independent statistician identified a statistically significant (p < 0.02) correlation between the 5T4-specific immune response and tumour responses. For both trials, final audited tumour response rates, statistical analyses and patient survival data are anticipated in 2006. The Company is currently accumulating survival information for these two studies and preliminary analysis of patients who had received at least two injections of TroVax suggests that the product may provide a survival benefit when compared with the published data for the chemotherapies alone. However, it should be noted that patient numbers are too small to provide a rigorous conclusion and comparisons with historical data can be unreliable. In order to improve the statistical value of the analysis the combined published survival curves for the two chemotherapies were compared with the combined survival of patients receiving TroVax in addition to the chemotherapies. This showed that TroVax extended median survival from 72 weeks to 88 weeks and improved survival at twelve months from 70% to 90%. At the time of writing, 13 of the 30 patients in this survival analysis remained alive with follow-up times exceeding 75 weeks through to 128 weeks. The Directors regard these data as encouraging and believe that, if these observations were reproduced in a pivotal study, they would be sufficient to support a Biologics License Application (BLA). The Company expects to report further data from these trials at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, on 2-6 June 2006. A third Phase II trial, initiated by an investigator with sponsorship from Cancer Research UK, completed enrolment in October 2005. The trial is evaluating TroVax in colorectal cancer patients who have operable liver metastases. Patients receive TroVax immunisations before surgery (neoadjuvant) and after surgery (adjuvant). Preliminary data were presented at the National Cancer Research Institute conference in Birmingham, UK, in October 2005. The data showed that TroVax was well tolerated in patients undergoing resection of colorectal cancer liver metastases and that the liver metastases expressed 5T4 on the tumour cells and/or tumour stroma. Encouragingly, all patients in the trial mounted an anti-tumour immune response to 5T4. The clinical outcomes of trial participants will be followed up and presented by Cancer Research UK in due course. In addition to colorectal cancer, the Company is targeting metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) as a lead indication for the development of TroVax. The Directors believe that RCC is an indication where TroVax might achieve a rapid route to product registration. In 2004, a Phase II trial in this setting was initiated at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, USA, under an approved Investigational New Drug protocol. The principal investigator for the trial is Dr Howard Kaufmann, a leading expert in clinical immunotherapy and an advisor on TroVax. The trial is designed to gather information on the safety of TroVax in this setting and also on the ability of TroVax to elicit immune responses to the tumour antigen 5T4. Dr Kaufmann gave a presentation in October 2005 at the World Vaccine Congress in Lyon, France, highlighting the potential of TroVax as a treatment for RCC. The Phase II trial is an open-label study of TroVax in combination with high dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) therapy, which is a treatment for RCC approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In his presentation, Dr Kaufmann reported that there had been no serious adverse events related to TroVax, which is consistent with the safety profile of the product across all trials, and TroVax treatment was well tolerated. Five patients were 'immune response evaluable', having received at least two TroVax immunisations. All five patients showed high anti-tumour antibody responses to 5T4. The antibody levels were at the top end of the range reported from the Phase II trials with TroVax in patients with colorectal cancer undergoing chemotherapy. This trial is intended to recruit up to 25 patients. To date, 14 patients have been recruited. Further data, including more detailed immunological analyses and efficacy as measured by objective tumour responses, are expected to be presented at ASCO in June 2006. The Company initiated a second Phase II trial in RCC at the Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, USA, in November 2005. The principal investigator for this trial is Dr Robert Amato, who is Associate Professor of Urology at the Methodist Hospital and a renowned expert on the treatment of RCC. This trial is designed to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of TroVax in conjunction with low dose IL-2, which is commonly used as standard of care treatment for RCC. To date, there are 13 patients in the study, out of a target enrolment of 25 patients. The Company plans to report safety, immunology and preliminary clinical outcomes from the trial at ASCO in June 2006. The Company is adding to its Phase II programme in RCC with a third trial that is expected to commence at the Christie Hospital in Manchester, UK, in the next few weeks. The principal investigator is Professor Robert Hawkins who is a leading expert in the treatment of RCC and who has been involved in several studies of TroVax. This new trial is designed to evaluate TroVax in combination with interferon-alpha, which is widely used as standard of care for treatment of RCC in the UK. The trial is open-label, with a target to recruit about ten patients, in order to assess safety and immunological responses following the combination treatment. In addition to the Phase II studies described above, the US clinical trials consortium, Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG), is finalising the design of a Phase II trial with TroVax in breast cancer, which will be sponsored by the US National Cancer Institute (NCI). These organisations provide valuable funding and endorsement of TroVax and plan to conduct a trial that is expected to enrol 120 patients with late stage breast cancer. The NCI and SWOG are responsible for all aspects of the trial, including the date of commencement. Although the anticipated timetable for initiating this trial has been extended, Oxford BioMedica remains encouraged by the level of commitment towards TroVax and this Phase II trial shown by the NCI and SWOG. The current expectation is for the trial to start in the second half of 2006. In considering the future development of TroVax and its commercial launch, the Company has taken account of several factors. The broad distribution of 5T4 on many tumours and the fact that, as expected, the immune response appears similar in patients with different tumour types and in different clinical settings provide a wide choice of indications for further development. The Company is focusing initially on the two cancer types where it has clinical experience, colorectal cancer and RCC. Metastatic RCC tends to be an aggressive cancer with median survival of approximately one year from diagnosis. The relatively rapid progress of the disease in the majority of patients creates an opportunity for a definitive study to demonstrate the impact of TroVax on prolonging survival within a relatively short time frame. Studies in tumour types with slower progression would take longer to complete pivotal trials. Therefore, the Directors believe that RCC provides the fastest route to registration. Colorectal cancer represents a very large market opportunity but the Directors believe that trials in this setting would take longer to generate data for product registration. A number of new combination therapies for metastatic colorectal cancer have extended median survival from approximately 16 months to 20 months. The Company intends to pursue both colorectal cancer and RCC but it will give RCC initial priority because of the Directors' focus on bringing the product to market as quickly as possible. However, it is important to note that the Directors believe that product approval for the treatment of RCC will facilitate rapid regulatory review of subsequent registration applications for colorectal and other cancer types. Furthermore, the Company expects that any prospective partner for the TroVax programme would pursue several indications, including colorectal cancer. The Company has two near-term goals within the TroVax programme. The first is to secure a commercial partner and the second is to maintain the planned registration date of 2009. In order to achieve the latter the Company plans to initiate a Phase III trial of TroVax in RCC in 2006. Based on its proposed trial design, the Directors believe that registration in 2009 is possible. This plan will be implemented in parallel with negotiations with potential partners for TroVax. In preparation for Phase III trials and product registration, the manufacturing process for TroVax has been scaled for commercial production. Another objective is to broaden the clinical experience with TroVax to other cancer types where the 5T4 antigen is evident. The NCI Phase II trial in breast cancer is part of this strategy but the Company may initiate Phase II trials in other cancer types during 2006. The Company is discussing trial plans with clinicians, and is seeking to offset some of the trial costs through external funding. The Company reported its provisional Phase III trial design in RCC in November 2005, based on a combination treatment of TroVax with IL-2. Following consultation with clinical advisors and the FDA, the Company has broadened the scope of the trial such that TroVax would be used in combination with either IL-2, interferon-alpha or Sutent(R) (sunitinib). The revised trial design broadens the utility of TroVax, and hence, increases its commercial potential in RCC. The planned Phase III trial, referred to as TRIST (TroVax Renal Immunotherapy Survival Trial), is a randomised, placebo controlled, two-arm study of TroVax in combination with standard of care, versus placebo and standard of care. The current plan is to recruit about 700 patients and will involve about 120 centres in the USA, European Union and Eastern Europe. The proposed primary endpoint is survival improvement. The protocol includes the appointment of a Safety and Efficacy Monitoring Board (SEMB) to assess the safety and potential efficacy of the drug combinations at various time points during the trial. The Company has requested a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) from the FDA for TRIST. The SPA is a process for official FDA evaluation and guidance on Phase III trial design. At the conclusion of the SPA process, Oxford BioMedica expects to receive a written agreement that if the study achieves its proposed endpoint then it may be used to support an efficacy claim in a submission to the FDA for product registration. The Company expects to complete the SPA process and other trial preparations for the start of patient recruitment in the second half of 2006. However, the SPA process could take longer than expected and the FDA may demand significant changes to the trial design, which could change the Company's timelines. The Company plans to seek 'orphan drug' designation for TroVax in both the USA and Europe for the RCC indication. The granting of orphan drug status is intended to encourage the development of new treatments for life-threatening or chronically debilitating diseases where patient numbers are below certain thresholds. It would provide Oxford BioMedica and any prospective commercial partner with various benefits in terms of regulatory exclusivity, assistance with clinical development and a waiver of filing fees. In addition to the Phase III programme in RCC described above, the Company disclosed in November 2005 that it is in discussion with QUASAR, a UK-based clinical trial network funded from a variety of sources including the UK government's Department of Health. QUASAR has expressed interest in conducting a Phase III trial in Stage II/III colorectal cancer patients. TroVax would be used at or around the time of surgery with the endpoint being an increase in disease-free survival at three years. The study would be configured to achieve registration in Europe and the USA and could involve several thousand patients. The Company's financial contribution to this trial would be in the order of £4 million. If the Company were to run such a trial without QUASAR, the Directors estimate that it would cost approximately £70 million. The proposal is subject to a number of further review processes and QUASAR may conclude not to conduct its proposed Phase III trial for reasons that may be unrelated to the product. The clinical data that have been generated so far place TroVax amongst the leading candidate cancer immunotherapy products in development worldwide. As such, it has attracted interest from companies and research organisations throughout the world. The Company has made good progress with prospective commercial partners for TroVax, and securing a commercial partner for TroVax in at least one major territory remains a key objective for the Company during 2006. MetXia(R) MetXia is Oxford BioMedica's gene-based cancer therapeutic development candidate. The product is based on a highly-engineered retrovirus gene delivery system expressing a specific human cytochrome P450 gene. Cytochrome P450, delivered in this way, activates the chemotherapeutic prodrug cyclophosphamide at the tumour site, thereby increasing the effective concentration of the anti-tumour, cytotoxic derivative in the tumour mass. MetXia is potentially useful in the treatment of a number of solid tumours and their metastases, particularly those where cyclophosphamide is commonly used as a treatment. The Company is targeting its development efforts for MetXia on the treatment of pancreatic cancer through direct administration of both MetXia and cyclophosphamide to the tumour. A two-stage Phase II trial was initiated in 2004. In August 2005, the Company announced that the first stage was successfully completed. The objectives of the first stage were to assess the safety of administering MetXia locally to the pancreatic tumour, to confirm gene transfer at the tumour site following local delivery and to identify an optimal dose of MetXia for the second stage of the trial. In the first stage of the trial, two dose levels of MetXia were assessed in six patients, in combination with a low dose of cyclophosphamide. Each patient had two administrations of MetXia, prior to and subsequent to surgery, followed by administration of cyclophosphamide. Both dose levels of MetXia were safe and well tolerated. Importantly, dose-dependent expression of the P450 gene delivered by MetXia was observed in tumour biopsies taken at surgery. Patient recruitment is ongoing for the second stage of the trial using a fixed, optimal dose of MetXia and increasing doses of cyclophosphamide, in up to 25 patients, at two centres in the UK: the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool, and the Sir John McMichael Centre for Clinical Investigation and Research at the Hammersmith Hospital, London. The objective of this stage is to determine the optimal dose of cyclophosphamide and to evaluate clinical benefit as well as safety. To date, three patients have been treated in the second stage of the Phase II trial. Patient recruitment has been slower than expected owing to the restrictive criteria for patient selection and poor tolerability of surgery, although the Company still expects to report initial efficacy and to identify the optimal dose of cyclophosphamide during 2006. The Company plans to open discussions with the regulatory authorities to determine the most expeditious route to obtain approval of MetXia in pancreatic cancer. A pivotal trial in pancreatic cancer could start in 2007, although the regulatory authorities may recommend more extensive Phase II development. MetXia's mechanism may be relevant in a number of malignant tumours, including breast cancer, prostate cancer and glioma (brain cancer). The Directors believe that the commercial opportunity for MetXia may be considerable and the Company plans to seek commercial partners for the product following successful completion of the current Phase II trial. 5T4 Targeted Antibody Therapy (Wyeth) Wyeth has licensed rights to Oxford BioMedica's proprietary antibody against the 5T4 tumour antigen for the treatment of cancer. Wyeth is using the antibody to develop an antibody-toxin conjugate based on its expertise with the anti-cancer agent calicheamicin. The collaboration with Wyeth has the potential to generate US$24 million in upfront and milestone payments, plus royalties on product sales. The collaboration was signed in 2001 as an option to license and, in 2003, Wyeth exercised its option to develop the product. In 2005, Wyeth continued its preparations for clinical development, including manufacturing scale-up and pivotal non-clinical safety studies. The product is described as a 'development candidate' in Wyeth's R&D pipeline. During the year, for the first time, Wyeth reported some of its preclinical data at a scientific meeting. Preclinical efficacy data were presented at the World Congress on Advances in Oncology and International Symposium on Molecular Medicine in Crete, Greece in October 2005. The presentation included preclinical data showing that the antibody-toxin is cytotoxic against tumour cells expressing the 5T4 antigen, and that the product inhibited tumour growth in in vitro models of various human 5T4-expressing cancers. In a preclinical model of lung cancer, 100% of mice treated with the antibody-toxin survived through an observation period of 150 days, whereas those treated with a control had a median survival of 40 to 60 days. Like TroVax, the product could, in principle, be used to treat a range of cancers. Thus, the Directors believe that the antibody-toxin may have substantial commercial potential. Wyeth has full responsibility and control over the development of the product. In 2006, Wyeth is expected to submit its Investigational New Drug (IND) application for the start of clinical trials with the antibody-toxin, disclose the initial patient group and commence clinical development. The start of clinical trials triggers a further milestone payment to Oxford BioMedica under the terms of the collaboration. TroVax-Vet(R) (Intervet) TroVax-Vet is Oxford BioMedica's veterinary 5T4 tumour antigen-targeted immunotherapy programme for the treatment of cancer in companion animals, focusing on dogs and cats. The development and commercialisation collaboration with Intervet, the veterinary unit of Akzo Nobel, was signed in 2003. Intervet is one of the world's top veterinary companies. Under the Intervet collaboration, Intervet funds the programme and Oxford BioMedica receives development milestones and royalties on product sales. Intervet completed a relevant preclinical efficacy study with canine TroVax-Vet in 2005. The data demonstrate that the product stimulates a strong immune response against the canine version of the 5T4 antigen. In 2005, Intervet initiated further product optimisation studies, evaluating different vaccine configurations, dosages and routes of administration. Intervet anticipates the start of field trials in dogs with naturally occurring cancer towards the end of 2006 or in early 2007. NEUROTHERAPY Oxford BioMedica's neurotherapy development portfolio addresses Parkinson's disease, vision loss, nerve injury and acquired and inherited motor neuron disease. The pipeline comprises five therapeutic candidates based on the Company's proprietary LentiVector(R) technology. All five programmes continue to meet expectations in their ongoing preclinical development. The Company is preparing regulatory submissions for the start of clinical trials with the most advanced product, ProSavin for Parkinson's disease. Given the commonality of the LentiVector system to all the neurotherapy products, the infrastructure for ProSavin that relates to manufacturing scale-up and safety testing can be applied to the entire portfolio. Hence, the time invested in the preclinical development of ProSavin should accelerate the programmes for the other development candidates. The Company anticipates entering clinical development with at least one neurotherapy product each year from 2006, starting with ProSavin. ProSavin(R) The Company's lead neurobiology candidate product, ProSavin, is a novel approach to the treatment of Parkinson's disease. ProSavin uses a LentiVector system to deliver the genes for three enzymes that are required for the synthesis of dopamine. The product is administered locally to the striatum, converting cells into a replacement dopamine factory within the brain. The Company first presented preclinical efficacy data with ProSavin in an industry standard in vivo model of Parkinson's disease in 2004. In these studies, treatment with ProSavin resulted in almost complete recovery of movement behaviour, which is seldom achieved in this model according to the literature. During the past year, the Company has confirmed these results by conducting long-term efficacy and safety studies and dose ranging studies, which have established the parameters for setting the human dose. The expanded body of data suggests that a single treatment with ProSavin has a statistically significant (p<0.05) therapeutic effect after two weeks, and restores almost normal movement after five to eight weeks. The therapeutic benefit has been maintained throughout the duration of the studies, with the latest time point being 20 weeks. This preclinical proof of principle study is expected to be published in 2006. The Company is planning a submission to the regulatory authorities in the second half of 2006 to start clinical trials with ProSavin. The timetable for this submission has been extended by a few months, due largely to manufacturing complexities in the scale-up for clinical development. The clinical manufacturing process was finalised towards the end of 2005. The Company is currently completing relevant safety studies with the clinical material, and is preparing the regulatory documentation. The Directors do not foresee any obvious barriers to achieving approval for the start of Phase I/II trials, although the regulatory authorities may request additional data prior to the start of trials that may delay the process. The planned trial is to be conducted in patients with late stage Parkinson's disease, and the Company expects to commence the trial before the end of 2006 or in early 2007. While it is the Company's strategy to secure a development partner for ProSavin after the increase in value that follows successful initial clinical results, the Company may enter commercial agreements at the preclinical stage if sufficiently attractive terms can be negotiated. RetinoStat(R) RetinoStat is the Company's novel gene-based treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR). The product uses the LentiVector system to deliver genes to the retina that block the formation of new blood vessels. Oxford BioMedica has exclusive rights to two proprietary anti-angiogenic genes, angiostatin and endostatin, for use in treatments of ocular diseases under a licensing agreement with Entremed Inc. The Company has evaluated both genes in its RetinoStat programme. In April 2005, the Company and its collaborators from the Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK, presented encouraging preclinical data from the programme at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. In an industry standard in vivo model of AMD, two versions of RetinoStat were evaluated and both were shown to be safe and well tolerated, both reduced the area of the eye with abnormal blood vessel growth, and both reduced blood vessel leakage in the eye, which leads to the distortion and loss of central vision in AMD. The two product configurations demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in all efficacy scores. The Company completed its optimisation of RetinoStat in September 2005. The optimised version of the product, which will now proceed to clinical development, carries both the angiostatin and endostatin anti-angiogenic genes and shows significantly greater efficacy than versions containing single genes. Further preclinical efficacy studies are being conducted at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, with support from the Foundation Fighting Blindness. These studies will be presented at ophthalmology conferences in 2006, including the ARVO meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, on 30 April to 4 May 2006. The Company's objective is to start clinical trials with RetinoStat in wet AMD in 2007. Oxford BioMedica's strategy is to secure commercial partners after demonstrating efficacy in clinical trials, although collaborations may be entered into at an earlier stage of development if suitably attractive terms can be agreed. MoNuDin(R) MoNuDin is the Company's LentiVector-based product candidate for treating motor neuron disease. The product is administered by injection into relevant muscle groups to deliver a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene, which is neuroprotective for motor neurons. The product is being developed initially for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The programme has received financial support from two disease-specific charitable organisations: the US ALS Association and the UK Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association. A grant of £350,000 from the MND Association was announced in July 2005, to fund a pivotal non-clinical study. Recently the MND Association has offered to increase this funding. Other US and UK charities are considering further sponsorship that could fund initial clinical trials of MoNuDin for the treatment of ALS. In common with the Company's other external sponsorships by charitable groups, Oxford BioMedica retains intellectual property and commercial rights for the programme. Preclinical in vivo efficacy data with MoNuDin in an industry standard model of ALS were presented and published in 2004. The results suggested that MoNuDin may be one of the most effective potential therapies in the field to date. During 2005, the Company commenced additional preclinical toxicology and confirmatory efficacy studies. Further data are expected to be reported during 2006 from these studies, which are designed to support a regulatory submission for the start of clinical trials with MoNuDin in 2008. It should be noted that the Company has three neurotherapy product candidates, MoNuDin, SMN-1G and Innurex(R), that could enter clinical development in 2008. Hence, clinical trials of MoNuDin may be delayed for reasons related to resources and priorities. SMN-1G In addition to the ALS programme, Oxford BioMedica is developing a gene-based therapeutic to treat another motor neuron disease, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). SMN-1G is a specific treatment for SMA, which restores levels of survival motor neuron (SMN) protein by delivering the corrected version of the SMN1 gene using the LentiVector system. In previous years, the programme has received financial support from the US charity, FightSMA. Preclinical in vivo efficacy data with SMN-1G were published in 2004 in a model of SMA. During 2005, the Company started further preclinical studies to optimise the SMN-1G product configuration and it is currently planning the clinical development strategy. In 2006, the Company expects to report further results from the ongoing preclinical studies and to commence preparations for clinical trials. The Company believes that clinical trials with SMN-1G could start in 2008. It should be noted that the Company has three neurotherapy product candidates, MoNuDin, SMN-1G and Innurex, that could enter clinical development in 2008. Hence, clinical trials of SMN-1G may be delayed for reasons related to resources and priorities. Innurex(R) Innurex is the Company's gene-based product for nerve regeneration for the treatment of spinal cord and related injuries. Based on the LentiVector technology, the product carries the gene for a subtype of the retinoic acid receptor (RARss2) that induces nerve cells to re-grow. Oxford BioMedica collaborates with King's College, London, UK, on the Innurex programme. In June 2005, the Company presented preclinical efficacy data at the annual meeting of the American Society of Gene Therapy (ASGT) in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. In a preclinical in vivo study of spinal cord injury, there was a statistically significant improvement in both sensory and motor functional ability with Innurex compared to placebo for most measurements. These data add to previous encouraging observations in preclinical models of avulsion (stretch) injury and suggest that Innurex may be useful in the clinical treatment of both stretch injury and the technically more challenging spinal cord damage. The Company is conducting further preclinical studies and is defining a clinical plan for initial trials of Innurex. The Directors believe that Innurex could enter clinical development in 2008. Again, it should be noted that the Company has three neurotherapy product candidates, MoNuDin, SMN-1G and Innurex, that could enter clinical development in 2008. Hence, clinical trials of Innurex may be delayed for reasons related to resources and priorities. OTHER PROGRAMMES The Company's prime focus for its research efforts is in its key therapeutic areas: oncology and neurotherapy. In oncology, the Company has a tumour antigen discovery programme in collaboration with ARIUS Research Inc. Under the agreement, ARIUS is supplying a number of anti-tumour antibodies and Oxford BioMedica is using technology developed within the TroVax programme to identify the cognate antigens. Any intellectual property arising from the collaboration is jointly owned. At the end of 2004, the joint programme progressed from the successful identification of novel cancer targets to focus on a target that is over expressed in gastrointestinal and other cancers and could be related to cancer metastasis. In 2005, the Company has made progress in the validation of this novel target. In neurotherapy the Company has investigated some of the fundamental biology of Innurex-mediated nerve re-growth through its collaboration with King's College, London, which was partially funded by a DTI LINK grant. The project has identified a novel gene that is activated by Innurex and which may act synergistically with RARss2, the therapeutic gene in Innurex. Oxford BioMedica owns all of the intellectual property arising from the programme. Outside of the core therapeutic focus, the Company is evaluating a limited number of product opportunities and novel technology applications. These programmes are primarily funded through collaborations or grants. One potentially valuable preclinical product candidate is ReQuinate(R) for the blood clotting disorder, haemophilia A. This LentiVector-based programme is funded by a grant of £0.5 million from the UK government's Department of Health. The Company is planning a preclinical efficacy study with ReQuinate in 2006. The Company has also evaluated the LentiVector technology as a delivery mechanism for gene silencing molecules in RNA interference (RNAi). RNAi is a new area of focus for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry that allows genes of choice to be switched off. This technology platform has applications in research, target validation and therapeutics. The Company's LentiVector technology has been shown to be highly effective in delivering these molecules. In March 2005, the journal Nature Medicine published a paper on the Company's RNAi work, describing the results from a preclinical study. The LentiVector gene delivery system was used to deliver a specific RNA molecule that effectively shut down expression of the gene that causes disease in a model of the neurodegenerative disease, familial ALS. The Company has had collaboration and licensing discussions with a number of interested parties for access to the LentiVector technology for RNAi applications. It announced a strategic alliance with Sigma-Aldrich, a leading RNAi reagents company, on 20 October 2005 (see Technology Licensing), focusing on the research market. The Company has a discovery programme in collaboration with Kiadis BV to develop novel drugs that target an enzyme identified in Oxford BioMedica's gene discovery programme. Applications could be in wound healing and cardiovascular disease. During 2005, Kiadis continued its 'hit' screening for possible lead drug candidates. These programmes are at the discovery or early preclinical stage. Hence, their successful application and progression are uncertain and may be subject to priority changes within the Company. TECHNOLOGY LICENSING In 2004, Oxford BioMedica established an active licensing programme for its suite of gene delivery technologies to facilitate third party access and to leverage the broad potential of these systems. This strategy is generating sustainable revenue. Four licensing agreements were secured in 2004, a further three agreements plus a strategic alliance were signed in 2005, and the Company's ninth agreement was signed in March 2006. In addition to its application in gene-based therapeutic products, the Company's LentiVector technology is an effective tool for genomics-based target validation, drug screening, production systems and the creation of transgenic animals. In February 2005, the Company signed an agreement with a leading biopharmaceutical company granting nonexclusive worldwide rights to the LentiVector technology for research activities. Similar licensing deals were signed with Pfizer Inc. in June 2005, and with a Fortune 500 global biopharmaceutical company in October 2005. Under the terms of these agreements, Oxford BioMedica receives upfront licence payments and annual maintenance fees. Viragen Inc. has a license to the LentiVector system for the development of its avian transgenic biomanufacturing, known as the OVATM System, for efficient and economical manufacturing of therapeutic proteins in chicken eggs. The Viragen agreement includes upfront and annual licence payments in addition to milestone payments on the achievement of technical goals and royalties on commercialisation. In June 2005, Viragen achieved a key objective, announcing that it had produced a functional humanised antibody selectively in the whites of eggs laid by transgenic hens. This achievement was replicated with a second protein, which was disclosed to be interferon-beta, in January 2006. Viragen expects to report more detail on its interferon-beta product and other proteins produced through its OVATM System during 2006. In October 2005, the Company announced a strategic alliance with Sigma-Aldrich providing exclusive rights to commercialise reagents and research tools incorporating the LentiVector technology. This strategic alliance identifies Sigma-Aldrich as Oxford BioMedica's exclusive global partner in the development and marketing of research products based on the LentiVector technology. Sigma-Aldrich plans to develop a range of high value LentiVector-based research products for its extensive customer base in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and academic sectors. Under the terms of this agreement, Oxford BioMedica received an upfront payment, and is entitled to annual minimum payments and royalties on sales. In addition, Sigma invested US$5 million in equity as part of the Company's successful fund raising in December 2005. Potential licensees in the future that request access to the LentiVector technology for research purposes may be channelled through Sigma-Aldrich under the Company's strategic alliance. However, Oxford BioMedica anticipates further LentiVector licensing deals in areas outside of the scope of the alliance during 2006. Other gene delivery platforms for which the Company has patent coverage include retroviral vector systems for gene delivery of prodrug-activating enzymes and viral envelope technology for efficient delivery of genes into human cells. MolMed SpA was the first licensee of the retroviral vector technology, which was licensed for development of MolMed's ex vivo gene therapies, including its lead clinical candidate, TK therapy. The product concept is based on engineering T-cells to express a suicide gene (TK gene) that makes them sensitive to a particular drug. The administration of such modified T-cells promotes immuno-reconstitution of a patient following bone marrow transplantation. If Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD) occurs, which is the major complication of bone marrow transplantation, the patient receives the drug that leads to the selective elimination of all grafted T-cells, thus removing the cause of GvHD. In December 2005, MolMed reported a significant improvement in survival of patients with acute leukaemia receiving its TK therapy in a 30-patient multi-centre Phase I/II trial in Europe. In 2006, MolMed plans to conduct a second Phase I/II study in the USA and to start a Phase III trial in Europe. On 10 March 2006, the Company announced a licensing agreement for the viral envelope technology. Virxsys Corporation licensed Oxford BioMedica's VSV-G viral envelope system for the production process of Virxsys's HIV/AIDS product, VRX496, which is currently in Phase II trials. Under both the MolMed and Virxsys agreements, Oxford BioMedica received upfront licence fees and is entitled to annual maintenance payments, together with potential clinical and regulatory milestone payments and royalties on product sales. The technology licensing activities are generating a modest revenue stream through annual maintenance payments and have the potential for significant additional income in some cases. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY The Company's corporate strategy to generate income from licensing and commercialising its products and technologies is dependent upon there being robust patents and know how covering the composition, manufacture and use of the products and technologies. Maintaining strong intellectual property is, therefore, fundamental to Oxford BioMedica's success. The Company's patent portfolio comprises 35 US and ten European granted patents plus 65 patents that have issued in other jurisdictions. In total, 160 patent applications are currently pending. Another 15 patent families, covering key technologies, have been licensed from third parties. In 2005, six new patents were filed and 11 patents were granted. Patent news during 2005 included a strengthening of the intellectual property surrounding TroVax. A key patent was granted by the European Patent Office and received Notice of Allowance from the US Patent and Trademark Office. The patent covers immunotherapy products directed against 5T4 and includes specific claims to the use of viral delivery systems in 5T4-targeted vaccines. This is one of several granted and pending patents that protect the company's ownership of commercial applications of the 5T4 tumour antigen technology. The patent portfolio that covers the LentiVector technology was similarly strengthened during the year. A US patent was issued in August 2005 that contains broad claims covering genetic modifications that are critical for the safe and efficacious application of lentiviral vectors. In July 2005, the Company announced that the Patent Office of the Peoples' Republic of China had granted two patents that have broad claims covering lentiviral vectors. The Company was later notified that two further patents had been granted in China. These are the first patents covering the LentiVector system and other aspects of the Company's technology in China, the only country in the world with an approved gene therapy product and a country where opportunities for innovative pharmaceutical development are predicted to grow substantially over the next decade. Having these patents in place will help the Company to commercialise its products in China. FINANCIAL REVIEW PROFIT AND LOSS OVERVIEW With higher revenue from technology licensing and lower operating costs, the operating loss for 2005 was £1,273,000 less than 2004 at £11,233,000. Slightly lower bank interest was offset by a higher tax credit, making the net loss for the year £9,085,000 (2004: £10,464,000). REVENUE £824,000 (2004:£502,000) Revenue in 2005 derived from licences to the Group's proprietary gene delivery technology, particularly LentiVector. This revenue stream has been growing since the Company established its technology licensing initiative in early 2004. Three new LentiVector research licenses were signed in 2005. Also, in October 2005 a key agreement was signed with Sigma-Aldrich to commercialise LentiVector technology for the reagent and research tool market. Income recognised from the initial payment under the Sigma-Aldrich agreement accounted for over half the total gene delivery licence income in 2005. The agreement with Sigma-Aldrich also led to a subscription of £2.9 million (US$5 million) for Oxford BioMedica plc shares, alongside the placing and open offer in December 2005. In addition, revenue was earned from the licence for retroviral technology with MolMed SpA, and from the ongoing collaboration with Viragen Inc., using LentiVector gene delivery in the field of avian transgenics. OPERATING EXPENSES £12,192,000 (2004: £13,372,000) Operating expenses in 2005 were £1.2 million lower than 2004, principally due to one-off costs associated with the reorganisation of US activities in 2004. R&D costs (£9,327,000) were £314,000 (3%) higher than 2004, but as a result of rationalisation savings, they were over £1.2 million less than 2003. Administration costs excluding exceptional reorganisation costs were close to last year's level at £2,865,000. The impact of IFRS on these operating expenses was modest, increasing 2005 costs by £196,000 (2%) and reducing 2004 costs by £146,000 (1%) compared to UK GAAP. RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT COSTS £9,327,000 (2004: £9,013,000) The Group's R&D costs comprise in-house costs (staff salaries and expenses, R&D consumables, IP costs, facilities costs and depreciation of R&D assets) and external preclinical and clinical costs (preclinical development, GMP manufacturing, regulatory costs, clinical trials and clinical consultants). The increase in R&D costs in 2005 is attributable to a modest expansion in the UK, in part absorbing R&D workload from rationalisation of the US operations, but also building up critical capabilities in clinical development and quality assurance and control. External clinical and preclinical costs (£1,730,000) were £231,000 lower in 2005 than 2004, but the balance of expenditure between the programmes followed a broadly similar distribution with TroVax development accounting for over 50% of the total. External clinical and preclinical costs are expected to be higher in 2006 and 2007, with the planned start of the Phase III study of TroVax in renal cell carcinoma. The overall cost of the RCC Phase III study is estimated to be approximately £25 million over the period 2005 to 2009. If a development and commercialisation collaboration for TroVax is secured, then the cost borne by Oxford BioMedica could be largely offset by income or other funding. ADMINISTRATION EXPENSES £2,865,000 (2004: £2,791,000 excluding exceptional costs) Excluding the exceptional reorganisation cost incurred in 2004, administration costs over the period 2003 to 2005 have been in a range approximately £2.8 million to £2.9 million per annum. This level is not expected to change significantly in the short term. Reorganisation costs of £1,568,000 in 2004 (2005: nil) comprised redundancy costs, asset write-downs and loss on disposal, fees related to the granting of a sub-lease and an onerous lease provision. Provision was made for the present value of the anticipated rental shortfall to the end of the lease in 2012. In 2005, £74,000 was released from the provision, covering the deficit for the year on the sublease. GRANT INCOME £135,000 (2004: £364,000) The level of grant support has been declining from a peak in 2003. Many of the grant programmes from the UK government and the European Commission are designed to support applied research. The reduction in grant income from this source reflects the evolution of Oxford BioMedica's focus from research to product development. In 2005 two new grants were awarded by the UK Department of Health and the UK Motor Neurone Disease Association, which together could amount to £950,000 over three years. The Group has experienced delays of more than 24 months in payment of some government and EC grants, which is reflected in the high debtor level of £516,000 at the year end (2004: £405,000). Since the year end, £407,000 of accrued grant income was received. NET INTEREST RECEIVED £938,000 (2004: £1,158,000) The Group places its cash on deposit for periods of up to 12 months and generates interest on those deposits. The maturity profile of deposits is intended to match planned patterns of expenditure. As a result of the share issue in December 2005, the year end balance on deposit was considerably higher in 2005 than 2004 (£43,632,000 vs. £22,377,000). However, taking account of the timing of the 2005 fund raising, the average balance invested during 2005 was actually lower than the year before. Offsetting this, average interest rates were slightly higher in 2005. Total interest receivable was £969,000 (2004: £1,171,000). Interest payable and similar charges of £31,000 (2004: £13,000) relate mainly to the unwinding of discount on the Group's lease provision. The Group has no debt. TAX CREDIT £1,210,000 (2004: £884,000) The UK operating subsidiary Oxford BioMedica (UK) Limited is entitled to claim R &D tax credit. The credit of £1,276,000 (2004: £885,000) is based on certain eligible expenses, to which a 50% mark-up and a tax rate of 16% is applied. The US subsidiary BioMedica Inc. supplies services to the UK subsidiary subject to a 5% mark-up, generating a low level of taxable income in the USA. Tax payable was £66,000 (2004: £1,000). The dip in UK tax credit in 2004 reflected a downward adjustment made in that year of £115,000 to prior years' R&D credit estimates. The 2005 tax credit reflected a positive £101,000 prior year adjustment on resolution of the claims for 2001 to 2004. As a result of a hold on payment of tax credits in 2004, last year's debtor for R&D tax credit was unusually high at £1,685,000. The review of claims by HM Revenue & Customs was completed in 2005, and a total of £1,786,000 was received in the year (2004 cash received: £400,000). Tax payable in 2005 included a prior year adjustment of £23,000 relating to 2004. INTANGIBLE ASSETS £1,641,000 (2004: £1,627,000) The 2005 balance sheet contains significant intangible assets as a result of adopting IFRS. Under IFRS, purchased intellectual property rights are capitalised as intangibles and either amortised or reviewed for impairment at each balance sheet date. No amortisation has been charged to date, as the products underpinned by the intellectual property are not yet available for commercial use. Under UK GAAP the costs of purchased intellectual property rights were written off in the accounting period in which they were incurred, with the exception of certain intellectual property rights acquired by the Group at inception, which were capitalised as intangibles and amortised over ten years. By re-classifying expenditure previously written off, intangibles of £86,000 at 31 December 2004 under UK GAAP were increased to £1,627,000. A further £14,000 was capitalised in 2005. DEBTORS £1,777,000 (2004: £1,618,000) AND CREDITORS £2,180,000 (2004: £1,741,000) Debtors (trade and other receivables) and creditors (trade and other payables) were both higher in 2005 than in 2004 - debtors by £159,000 and creditors by £439,000. Recoverable VAT (identified in the accounts as 'other tax receivable') was £118,000 higher than 2004, principally due to inclusion of VAT on share issue expenses in the year end debtor. New developments in VAT law in 2005 allowed the Company to recover VAT on the costs of share issues. As described above, the debtor for grant income was £111,000 higher than last year at £516,000. Accruals at December 2005 were £325,000 higher than 2004. The most significant increase was in accrued costs for external clinical and preclinical studies, which were £184,000 higher than 2004. SHARE ISSUES IN 2005 On 15 December 2005 the Company completed a major fund raising, comprising an underwritten open offer for 27,007,869 shares (one new share for every 14 existing shares), an institutional placing of 81,792,131 shares, and a subscription by our collaborative partner Sigma-Aldrich for 11,528,041 shares, all at 25p per share. The open offer allowed shareholders to apply for allocations in excess of their basic entitlement to the extent that other open offer shares were not taken up. Overall, 80.54% of the open offer shares were taken up, and the balance was placed by Evolution Securities with institutions. There was strong demand for the institutional placing, which was significantly oversubscribed. Total proceeds of the December 2005 share issue before costs were £30,082,000. Net of costs the issue raised £28,013,000. Sigma-Aldrich's shareholding represents 2.3% of the issued share capital at the end of 2005. Also, during 2005 a total of 6,016,006 shares were issued on the exercise of share options, raising cash of £1,038,000 for the Company. CASH & DEPOSITS £43,817,000 (2004: £22,417,000) AND CASH BURN £7,665,000 (2004: £9,692,000) Following the placing, open offer and subscription in December 2005, the total of cash, cash equivalents and available for sale investments (bank deposits) was £43,817,000 (2004: £22,417,000). This provides the Group with the financial resources to continue with the development of its products, including starting its Phase III trial of TroVax, while negotiating product collaborations from a position of relative strength. Under IFRS the format of the cash flow statement is changed. The key measure ' cash burn' does not feature in the new format. However it can easily be calculated, comprising the total of cash used in operating activities and net capital expenditure (comprising proceeds of sale of property, plant and equipment, purchases of property, plant and equipment and purchases of intangible assets). Cash burn was dramatically better at £7,665,000 in 2005 (2004: £9,692,000). The year on year reduction was £2,027,000. The largest part of this, £1,386,000, was due to receipt of tax credits. The 2003 claim had been only partly paid in 2004. In 2005 the balance of the 2003 claim, together with the whole of the 2004 claim, was paid. The rest of the improvement, £641,000, was principally due to lower operational net cash outflows and working capital movements. If the Group goes on to finance the Phase III development of TroVax through 2006, it is likely that the 2006 cash burn will be considerably higher than 2005. Whether this happens will depend on a number of currently uncertain factors, including the timing and structure of a collaborative deal for TroVax. FINANCIAL OUTLOOK With the present strong financial position, the Group is well placed to create further value through the development and commercialisation of its product pipeline and platform technology. Consolidated income statement for the year ended 31 December 2005 Notes 2005 2004 £'000 £'000 Revenue 1 824 502 Research and development costs (9,327) (9,013) Administrative expenses (2,865) (4,359) Other operating income: grants receivable 135 364 Operating loss (11,233) (12,506) Analysed as: Operating loss before exceptional item (11,233) (10,938) Exceptional administrative expense - (1,568) Operating loss (11,233) (12,506) Interest payable and similar charges (31) (13) Interest receivable 969 1,171 Loss before tax (10,295) (11,348) Taxation 2 1,210 884 Loss for the financial year (9,085) (10,464) Basic loss and diluted loss per ordinary share 3 (2.4p) (2.8p) The results for the years above are derived entirely from continuing operations. There is no difference between the loss before tax and the loss for the years stated above, and their historical cost equivalents. Consolidated balance sheet at 31 December 2005 Notes 2005 2004 £'000 £'000 Assets Non-current assets Intangible assets 4 1,641 1,627 Property, plant and equipment 5 831 1,237 2,472 2,864 Current assets Trade and other receivables 6 1,777 1,618 Current tax assets 1,175 1,685 Financial assets: Available for sale investments 7 23,500 17,500 Cash and cash equivalents 7 20,317 4,917 46,769 25,720 Current liabilities Trade and other payables 8 2,180 1,741 Current tax liabilities 1 - Provisions 9 67 73 2,248 1,814 Net current assets 44,521 23,906 Non-current liabilities Provisions 9 393 391 Net assets 46,600 26,379 Shareholders' equity Ordinary shares 4,984 3,721 Share premium 106,097 78,309 Other reserves 84 88 Retained losses (64,565) (55,739) Total equity 46,600 26,379 Consolidated cash flow statement for the year ended 31 December 2005 Notes 2005 2004 £'000 £'000 Cash used in operating activities Cash used in operations 10 (10,074) (10,753) Interest received 1,040 1,109 Interest paid (11) (13) Tax credit received 1,786 400 Overseas tax paid (65) - Net cash used in operating activities (7,324) (9,257) Cash flows from investing activities Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment - 110 Purchases of property, plant and equipment (327) (316) Purchases of intangible assets (14) (229) Net (purchase)/maturity of available for sale investments (6,000) 5,650 Net cash (used in)/generated by investing activities (6,341) 5,215 Cash flows from financing activities Net proceeds from issue of ordinary share capital 29,043 281 Effects of exchange rate changes 22 (8) Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 15,400 (3,769) Cash and cash equivalents at 1 January 4,917 8,686 Cash and cash equivalents at 31 December 7 20,317 4,917 Statement of changes in shareholders' equity Share Share Translation Merger Retained Total capital premium reserve reserve losses £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 At 1 January 2004 3,703 78,045 (576) 711 (45,400) 36,483 Exchange adjustments - - (47) - - (47) Loss for the year - - - - (10,464) (10,464) Share options 11 179 - - - 190 Proceeds from shares issued Value of employee services - - - - 125 125 Issue of shares excl. 7 104 - - - 111 options Costs of share issues - (19) - - - (19) At 31 December 2004 3,721 78,309 (623) 711 (55,739) 26,379 Exchange adjustments - - (4) - - (4) Loss for the year - - - - (9,085) (9,085) Share options 60 978 - - - 1,038 Proceeds from shares issued Value of employee services - - - - 259 259 Issue of shares excl. 1,203 28,879 - - - 30,082 options Costs of share issues - (2,069) - - - (2,069) At 31 December 2005 4,984 106,097 (627) 711 (64,565) 46,600 Basis of preparation The figures and financial information for the years ended 31 December 2005 and 31 December 2004 do not constitute the statutory financial statements for the respective years. Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2004 have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies and included the auditors' report. Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2005 have not yet been delivered to the Registrar. The auditors' reports on the financial statements for the years ended 31 December 2005 and 31 December 2004 were unqualified and did not contain statements under either section 237 (2) or section 237 (3) of the Companies Act 1985. Prior to 2005 the Group prepared its statutory accounts in accordance with UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (UK GAAP). For the year ended 31 December 2005 the Group is required to prepare its statutory financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Accordingly, the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with IFRS and International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC) interpretations endorsed by the European Union and with those parts of the Companies Act 1985 applicable to companies reporting under IFRS. The financial statements are prepared in accordance with the historical cost convention as modified by revaluation of available for sale investments. Financial information relating to the year ended 31 December 2004 has been restated in accordance with IFRS and the accounting policies adopted under IFRS. The Group's transition date for IFRS is 1 January 2004. IFRS 1 'First-time adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards' sets out the procedure that the Group must follow when it adopts IFRS for the first time as the basis for preparing its consolidated financial statements. The Group has taken advantage of two optional exemptions under IFRS 1: 1) Share-based payments: The Group operates share option schemes, which all of its employees are entitled to participate in. Under IFRS, income statement charges are based on the fair value of equity-settled share-based awards at grant date. The cost is calculated using an option pricing model, and the Group has taken the exemption provided in IFRS 1 which allows the charge to be calculated only in respect of options granted to employees after 7 November 2002 which had not vested by 1 January 2005, amortised over the vesting period of the options. 2) Business combinations: The Group has elected not to apply IFRS 3 'Business combinations' retrospectively to business combinations which took place prior to the transition date, namely that the acquisition in 1996 of 100% of the issued share capital of Oxford BioMedica (UK) Limited has been accounted for by the merger accounting method. On 20 September 2005, with its interim results for 2005, the Group released an analysis of the effects of adopting IFRS with effect from 1 January 2004. This included reconciliations of the income statement, balance sheet and equity together with explanations of the impacts of IFRS. Copies of this announcement and the interim report for 2005 are available from the Company Secretary. The audited statutory financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2005 are expected to be distributed to shareholders by 27 March 2006 and will be available at the registered office of the Company, Medawar Centre, Oxford Science Park, Oxford, OX4 4GA. This announcement was approved by the Board of Oxford BioMedica plc on 13 March 2006. Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2005 seq level0 /h /r1 seq level1 /h /r0 seq level2 /h /r0 seq level3 /h /r0 seq level4 /h /r0 seq level5 /h /r0 seq level6 /h /r0 seq level7 /h /r0 1 seq level0 /h /r1 seq level1 /h /r0 seq level2 /h /r0 seq level3 /h /r0 seq level4 / h /r0 seq level5 /h /r0 seq level6 /h /r0 seq level7 /h /r0 Segmental analysis The Group's primary segment reporting is by geographical location of assets, with business sector as the secondary format. The Group's revenue derives from assets located in the UK. By destination, revenue derives from the UK, other EU states and the USA. 2005 2004 Revenue by destination £'000 £'000 United Kingdom - 35 Rest of Europe 53 57 North America 771 410 Total revenue 824 502 2 Taxation The Group is entitled to claim tax credits in the United Kingdom for certain research and development expenditure. The amount included in the financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2005 represents the credit receivable by the Group for the year. These amounts have not yet been agreed with the relevant tax authorities. 2005 2004 £'000 £'000 Current tax United Kingdom corporation tax research and development credit (1,175) (1,000) Overseas taxation 43 1 (1,132) (999) Prior years' tax adjustments United Kingdom corporation tax research and development credit (101) 115 Overseas taxation 23 - Taxation credit (1,210) (884) 3 Basic loss and diluted loss per ordinary share The basic loss per share has been calculated by dividing the loss for the year by the weighted average number of shares of 380,914,250 in issue during the year ended 31 December 2005 (2004: 371,457,455). The Company had no dilutive potential ordinary shares in either year which would serve to increase the loss per ordinary share. There is therefore no difference between the loss per ordinary share and the diluted loss per ordinary share. 4 Intangible assets Intellectual Intellectual property rights property rights 2005 2004 £'000 £'000 Cost At 1 January 1,991 1,762 Additions 14 229 Disposals (85) - At 31 December 1,920 1,991 Accumulated amortisation and impairment At 1 January 364 357 Impairment in the year - 7 Disposals (85) - At 31 December 279 364 1,641 1,627 Net book amount at 31 December 5 Property, plant and equipment Office Short equipment, leasehold fixtures Computer Laboratory improvements and fittings equipment equipment Total £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Cost At 1 January 2005 2,213 86 308 2,494 5,101 Exchange adjustments 40 - 1 - 41 Additions at cost 17 1 88 195 301 Disposals - (1) (127) (39) (167) At 31 December 2005 2,270 86 270 2,650 5,276 Accumulated depreciation At 1 January 2005 1,768 59 267 1,770 3,864 Exchange adjustments 40 - 1 - 41 Charge for the year 285 16 40 333 674 Disposals - (1) (96) (37) (134) At 31 December 2005 2,093 74 212 2,066 4,445 Net book amount at 177 12 58 584 831 31 December 2005 Net book amount at 31 December 445 27 41 724 1,237 2004 6 Trade and other receivables 2005 2004 £'000 £'000 Amounts falling due after more than one year Other receivables - rent deposit 205 214 Amounts falling due within one year Trade receivables 119 162 Other receivables 676 619 Other tax receivable 242 124 Prepayments 442 434 Accrued income 93 65 1,572 1,404 Total trade and other receivables 1,777 1,618 7 Cash and cash equivalents 2005 2004 £'000 £'000 Cash at bank and in hand 185 40 Short term bank deposits 20,132 4,877 Total cash and cash equivalents 20,317 4,917 In addition to the cash and cash equivalents described above, the Group held bank deposits of £23,500,000 (2004: £17,500,000) with an initial term to maturity between six and twelve months classified as available for sale investments. 8 Trade and other payables - current 2005 2004 £'000 £'000 Trade payables 397 351 Other taxation and social security 263 219 Accruals 1,415 1,090 Deferred income 105 81 Total trade and other payables 2,180 1,741 9 Provisions Onerous lease provision 2005 2004 £'000 £'000 At 1 January 464 - Exchange adjustments 50 (26) Charged to the income statement - 568 Utilised in the year (74) (91) Amortisation of discount 20 13 Total provisions 460 464 2005 2004 £'000 £'000 Current 67 73 Non-current 393 391 Total provisions 460 464 The onerous lease provision relates to the estimated rental shortfall in respect of a redundant property in San Diego, USA which has been sub-let for the remainder of the lease term until June 2012, discounted at 4.09% per annum (2004: 4.55% per annum).The provision will be utilised over the term of the lease. 10 Cash flow from operating activities Reconciliation of operating loss to net cash used in operating activities 2005 2004 £'000 £'000 Continuing operations Net loss (9,085) (10,464) Adjustment for: Tax (1,210) (884) Depreciation 674 1,040 Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment 33 260 Impairment of fixed asset investments - 26 Impairment of intangibles - 7 Interest income (969) (1,171) Interest expense 31 13 Charge in relation to employee share schemes 259 125 Changes in working capital: Increase in trade and other receivables (190) (394) Increase in payables 457 225 (Decrease)/increase in provisions (74) 464 Net cash used in operations (10,074) (10,753) This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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