Latest news with #woundmanagement
Associated Press
12-08-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Zomedica's Fourth Friday at Four Webinar Returns: Spotlight on the VETIGEL(R) Hemostatic Product - The Future of Rapid Bleeding Control in Veterinary Medicine
Revolutionary Plant-Based Technology Gains Momentum as a Game-Changer in Wound Management ANN ARBOR, MI / ACCESS Newswire / August 12, 2025 / Zomedica Corp. (OTCQB:ZOMDF) ('Zomedica' or the 'Company'), a veterinary health company offering advanced diagnostic and therapeutic solutions for equine and companion animals, is pleased to announce the next installment of its Fourth Friday at Four webinar series, scheduled for Friday, August 22, 2025, at 4:00 PM ET. This month's session will highlight VETIGEL® hemostatic gel, Zomedica's innovative, plant-based solution designed for rapid and effective control of bleeding. The VETIGEL product provides veterinary professionals a fast, easy-to-use option for managing bleeding in soft tissue and superficial wounds, making it ideal for both surgical and emergency applications. With a syringe-based delivery system, the VETIGEL product accelerates clot formation, quickly seals wounds, and eliminates the need for traditional methods like manual pressure or cautery. What to Expect: Whether you're a veterinary professional, industry partner, investor, or advocate for better animal care, this webinar will offer a behind-the-scenes look at a powerful new tool that's redefining wound management and improving patient outcomes. Webinar Registration & Details Connect, Learn, and Discover What's Next in Veterinary Innovation Don't miss your chance to connect with industry experts, get a firsthand look at groundbreaking veterinary technologies, and explore what's next in animal healthcare. Whether you're a veterinary professional, industry partner, investor, or simply passionate about helping our pets live healthier lives-this series is for you. Reserve your spot for the next session by clicking the link below: About Zomedica Zomedica is a leading equine and companion animal healthcare company dedicated to improving animal health by providing veterinarians innovative therapeutic and diagnostic solutions. Our gold standard PulseVet® shock wave system, which accelerates healing in musculoskeletal conditions, has transformed veterinary therapeutics. Our suite of products also includes the Assisi® Loop line of therapeutic devices and the TRUFORMA® diagnostic platform, the TRUVIEW® digital cytology system, and the VetGuardian® no-touch monitoring system, all designed to empower veterinarians to provide top-tier care. In the aggregate, their total addressable market in the U.S. exceeds $2 billion. Headquartered in Michigan, Zomedica employs approximately 150 people and manufactures and distributes its products from its world-class facilities in Georgia and Minnesota. Zomedica grew revenue 8% in 2024 to $27 million and maintains a strong balance sheet with approximately $59 million in liquidity as of June 30, 2025. Zomedica is advancing its product offerings, leveraging strategic acquisitions, and expanding internationally as we work to enhance the quality of care for pets, increase pet parent satisfaction, and improve the workflow, cash flow and profitability of veterinary practices. For more information visit Follow Zomedica Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain 'forward-looking information' or 'forward-looking statements' (collectively, 'forward-looking information') within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as 'plan', 'expect', 'project', 'intend', 'believe', 'anticipate', 'estimate' and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions 'may' or 'will' occur and include statements relating to our expectations regarding future results. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. We cannot guarantee future results, performance, or achievements. Consequently, there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, including assumptions with respect to economic growth, demand for the Company's products, the Company's ability to produce and sell its products, sufficiency of our budgeted capital and operating expenditures, the satisfaction by our strategic partners of their obligations under our commercial agreements and our ability to realize upon our business plans and cost control efforts. Our forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause the results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: the outcome of clinical studies, the application of generally accepted accounting principles, which are highly complex and involve many subjective assumptions, estimates, and judgments, uncertainty as to whether our strategies and business plans will yield the expected benefits; uncertainty as to the timing and results of development work and verification and validation studies; uncertainty as to the timing and results of commercialization efforts, including international efforts, as well as the cost of commercialization efforts, including the cost to develop an internal sales force and manage our growth; uncertainty as to our ability to realize the anticipated growth opportunities from our acquisitions; uncertainty as to our ability to supply products in response to customer demand; supply chain risks associated with tariff changes; uncertainty as to the likelihood and timing of any required regulatory approvals, and the availability and cost of capital; the ability to identify and develop and achieve commercial success for new products and technologies; veterinary acceptance of our products and purchase of consumables following adoption of our capital equipment; competition from related products; the level of expenditures necessary to maintain and improve the quality of products and services; changes in technology and changes in laws and regulations; our ability to secure and maintain strategic relationships; performance by our strategic partners of their obligations under our commercial agreements, including product manufacturing obligations; risks pertaining to permits and licensing, intellectual property infringement risks, risks relating to any required clinical trials and regulatory approvals, risks relating to the safety and efficacy of our products, the use of our products, intellectual property protection, and the other risk factors disclosed in our filings with the SEC and under our profile on SEDAR+ at Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. We undertake no duty to update any of the forward-looking information to conform such information to actual results or to changes in our expectations except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Investor Relations Contact: Zomedica Investor Relations [email protected] 1-734-369-2555 SOURCE: Zomedica Corp. press release
News.com.au
07-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Dr Boreham's Crucible: ASX newbie Tetratherix plays it slow and steady
By taking the 'less is more' approach to funding, the backers of the first ASX life sciences initial public offer (IPO) in seven months have been rewarded with a robust share price over the first few trading days. The developer of the world's first 'bio-stealth fluid matrix' wound management house, Tetratherix (ASX:TTX) listed on Monday after reducing the size of its raising from $35 million to $25 million. 'This IPO is not an endpoint or an exit strategy, rather a foundation upon which we will accelerate product development, expand our global clinical footprint and scale manufacturing and commercial operations,' CEO Will Knox declared. The company's Tetramatrix platform has nothing to do with stealth fighters or furtive FBI agents, but is the basis of novel tools for applications including tissue healing, bone regeneration and surgical spacing. 'Bio-stealth refers to the ability to quietly enter the body through minimally invasive means,' Knox says. 'It tricks the body, so it doesn't know it has been in there and done the things it needs to do before being reabsorbed. 'That's important because the product doesn't elicit any inflammatory or foreign body response.' Knox dubs the platform as 'medical Lego', in that the products are built from the same polymer structure. 'That means you can use the same underlying biological performance and safety data in all regulatory applications,' he says. 'Our path to market is a lot faster and simpler because the data is interchangeable across the different applications.' 'Intelligent chemistry' The technology combines four liquid monomers in ready-to-use syringes. The 'intelligent chemistry' means it sets to a chewing-gum consistency at body temperature, causing minimal damage to other tissue. The material avoids the fibrotic response associated with healing. 'The ethos is to have something everyone can use, without changing clinical workflows,' says Dr Ali Fathi, the company's co- founder. 'Even a first-year school student can use it.' The material can be easily moulded to suit the application and is not rejected by the body. Eventually, the material breaks down into water and carbon dioxide. These qualities make it suitable for day surgeries, which are increasingly common. Tetratherix currently does not have an approved product. Pending expected US Food and Drug Administration approval, the company hopes to launch products for dental applications, bone regeneration and orthopaedic uses next year. This thesis was more than theory Academic theses tend to be derided as esoteric or theoretical - or both. That's not the case with University of Sydney researcher and chemical engineer Dr Fathi, whose thesis spawned the Tetra-tech. The topic? 'Injectable Hydrogels with Tunable Physico-chemical Characteristics and Cell-interactive Behaviour for Musculo-skeletal Tissue Regeneration'. Dr Fathi and Terence Abrams formed the company, then known as Trimph Holdings, in 2025. In 2018, a dental clinical study established the technology's street cred. The company adopted its current moniker in 2020 and carried out its first private fund-raising (series A round) for $2.5 million of preference shares. This was followed by two convertible note raisings, totalling $8.45 million. The company then converted to an unlisted public company structure. Knox has extensive experience on commercializing regenerative therapies including at Cochlear. The board includes John Kelly, co-founder of the ASX-listed Atomo Diagnostics. With an initial focus on dermal repair and orthopaedic bone regeneration, Tetratherix expanded into surgical spacing and tissue healing (preventing scars forming in surgery) The company also plans to commercialise a 'spacer' to protect surrounding tissue (such as the rectum) during prostate cancer radiation therapy. Tegenix … First off the commercialisation rank is the company's dental bone regeneration tool, Tegenix. Clinicians mix the material for a bone graft. The putty is then pressed into the bone defect, providing flexibility. 'It also means general dentists can carry out some of these more complex procedures,' Knox says. Tetratherix has carried out two clinical trials that show Tegenix supports natural bone healing. The company expects to bring Tegenix to market by July 2026, following expected FDA clearance. Identical in chemistry to Tegenix, fast follower Tegeneous is intended for orthopaedic uses, enabling minimally invasive treatment of trauma and spinal injuries. Tutelix … Under a joint venture with the local Koda Health, Tetratherix is developing Tutelix for prostate spacing. The material is injected through a long needle between the prostate and the rectum, which protects the latter from radiation during prostate procedures. 'We make cancer radiation therapy safer and simpler. It provides clinicians with optionality in that they can inject it at the pace they want,' Knox says. 'It's visible under a scan and ultrasound, enabling precision.' The joint venture has ethics approval for a human trial, expected to start within weeks. On the ophthalmic front, the Tetratherix 'eyes' a product called Optelex, to maintain the volume and shape of peepers during surgery. … and Tetraderm Tetraderm prevents scar formation after procedures such as caesarean sections and breast augmentation and reductions. The product forms a gel between layers of the dermal tissue, reducing 'dead space' and providing cushioning to prevent scar formation. Carried out on the Gold Coast, a trial has passed the first safety and efficacy hurdles. The company expects a pre-submission meeting with the FDA by the end of 2026. In the fast lane Knox says Tetratherix is taking the relatively easy FDA 510(k) path to market. 'We are not a drug, so don't need phase I to III style programs,' he says. 'The average time for an FDA response is 124 calendar days, rather than months or years.' The company's regulatory team sifted through 300 510(k) applications and discovered a 95% success rate. 'It is a much lower risk profile from a market access perspective.' Take your partners Management describes a dual revenue model, by which the technology is licenced to partners in a specific field. This approach means the company does not have to set up a large marketing team: 'an expensive and arduous process'. The partners have the right to self-fund expanded indications, with Tetratherix providing the material. For Tegenix, the company has an agreement with Henry Schein, the world's biggest dental supplier. Tetratherix has teamed up New York's Bio-Optix Inc to develop and commercialise a novel ophthalmic visco-elastic device (for cataract surgery). Knox describes the partnerships as distinct and long term. 'We try to avoid the difficult two-to-three-year distribution arrangement,' he says. 'Over many years I have found that doesn't provide enough long-term stability. 'Our partnerships are more a co-development agreement over 15 to 20 years.' Made in Australia US tariffs aside – and such imposts shouldn't overly affect the company – Tetratherix is intent at keeping its manufacturing and development on local shores. 'We are setting ourselves up to be an Australian leader in advanced material manufacturing in the biological and medical device space,' Knox says. The polymers are made at the company's facility at Alexandria, near Sydney Airport. About $10 million IPO proceeds are earmarked for a new plant around the corner, with 10 times the capacity. Knox says the products are made from widely available raw materials, using 'catalogue' equipment. 'The smarts are how you combine and cook those ingredients and how the parts of the process are put in place.' Finances and performance The IPO consisted of an institutional round and limited retail offering, raising $25 million at $2.88 a pop. The shares jumped 15% after listing on Monday and now are more than 50% to the good – a lusty showing indeed. Knox says the company could have raised the $35 million but wanted to avoid 'fast money' subscribers unlikely to stick around. The company now has cash on hand of circa $30 million. This funding provides a runway to mid-2027. It factors in two FDA approvals, one further submission and 'multiple clinical trial readouts'. Knox says the company has spent about $15 million in research and development over the last decade, with little extra spending required. Currently, US reimbursement depends on the product. With bone regeneration, the patient pays out of pocket in what's a low-cost, high-volume game. But prostate spacing has a well-defined US reimbursement model. Tetratherix expects milestone licensing payments, as well as on-going annuity-style revenue from licencing and manufacturing margins. The register includes Rod Drury, who founded small to middle sized enterprise (SME) 'software as a service' (SaaS) accounting pioneer Xero. Mr Drury says he was attracted to Tetratherix because the company applies 'SaaS platform thinking' to smart medical devices. Dr Boreham's diagnosis Knox says the IPO coincides with the company maturing from research and development stage to a commercially focused entity. The company cites a combined addressable market for bone regeneration, tissue spacing and tissue healing at US$6.8 billion and forecast to grow to US$9.5 billion by 2023. 'We have five very distinct products across three franchises, built on a platform opportunity,' Knox says. Still, wound-care newbies need to prove they have the superior – or cheaper – mousetrap. That often doesn't work. This week, the struggling ASX-listed Next Science said it would sell most of its assets to an Italian acquiror for US$50 million ($75.9 million). Knox says, typically, the company won't compete with ASX peers such as Aroa Biosurgery, Avita, Orthocell and Polynovo. 'Instead, we try to disrupt markets, such as in bone regeneration in dental and orthopaedic procedures. Tetratherix management is most excited about Tutelix and Tetraderm, given their potential to displace incumbent products from sector giants like Teleflex and Boston Scientific. First thing's first, though: Tetratherix needs to win the two initial FDA approvals and start to accrue that annuity revenue. But Knox says Wound mana will take it slowly, wooing the top opinion-leading clinicians before tackling the others. 'There is a very deliberate and strategic way of launching these products,' he says. 'Going too hard, too fast can be the death knell because if used in the wrong hands, the messaging is not controlled.' At a glance ASX Code: TTX Share price: $4.35 Shares on issue: 50,331,637 (8.7 million issued in IPO) Market cap: $218 million Chief executive officer: Will Knox (co-founder) Board: Emma Cleary (chair) Ali Fathi (co-founder), Knox, Gillian Shea, David Bottomley, Atlanta Daniel, John Kelly (Atomo), Maurizio Vecchione Financials (half year to December 31, 2024): revenue nil, R&D Tax Incentive $459,000, net loss after tax $2.63 million, cash of $31 million (post IPO) Major identifiable shareholders: Ali Fathi 28%, Radar Ventures (Atlanta Daniel and Rod Drury) 13.3%, David Bottomley and Ryder Capital 11.1%, Will Knox 6.7%. Abrams family 4.95%, Marsden Pty Ltd 4.95%, Aspirate Investments 4.16%
News.com.au
17-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Health Check: In shunning the IPO hot money, Tetraherix says ‘less is more'
Wound management house Tetraherix takes a haircut on its pending IPO, so the register has stayers rather than short-term players The FDA has approved CSL's next-gen treatment for hereditary angioedema Nothing fishy as zebrafish don The Big Freeze beanies Wound management house Tetraherix is on track to list on Monday week, June 30, having shaved its initial public offer to $25 million from the targeted $35 million. Tetraherix's EOFY special will be the first biotech IPO since nerve regeneration play ReNerve (ASX:RNV) listed in November last year and is a key bellwether of investor appetite for such offerings. 'We are all done,' says CEO Will Knox. 'The company had bids up to $35 but there was some fast money in there. 'We weren't confident of them being a long-term investor. So, to protect current shareholders and investors we reduced it a bit.' Tetraherix is based on a 'biostealth fluid matrix', which has applications in tissue healing, bone regeneration and surgical spacing. Supplied in ready-to-use syringes, the polymer is injected into the relevant anatomy and sets to a 'chewing-gum' consistency at body temperature. This means the material can be easily moulded to suit the application, and breaks down into water and carbon dioxide when the job is done. Pending expected US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, the company hopes to bring its first products to market in the first half of 2026. These are for dental applications and bone regeneration and orthopaedic uses. In the pipeline The company also has tools in the pipeline for scar prevention during surgery and a prostate surgery 'spacer' to protect surrounding tissue during radiation therapy. Knox said the company had been 'very deliberate' about the timing of the IPO, given it has transitioned from a research-focused business to a fully-fledged commercial entity. Tetraherix has earmarked part of the funds to a new manufacturing facility in Sydney's Alexandria, with ten times the capacity of its current digs around the corner. 'We are setting ourselves up to be an Australian leader in advanced material manufacturing in the biological and medical device space,' Knox says. CSL wins key US drug approval Out-of-sorts CSL (ASX:CSL) has notched up a win, with the FDA approving its prophylactic hereditary angioedema treatment called Andembry (garadacimab). Affecting about one in 50,000 people, hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare genetic disorder. It results in unpredictable swelling on various parts of the body including the airway (which can be life threatening). CSL describes Andembry as the 'first and only treatment' providing sustained protection from the disorder. It works by inhibiting Factor XII (FXIIa), a key driver of HAE attacks. Administered via an autoinjector, Andembry is the only treatment to offer once-monthly dosing via a pre-filled pen. The treatment 'complements' CSL's Behring arm's existing portfolio of the (subcutaneous) Haegarda and the intravenous Berinert. Combined, these therapies chalked up US$374 million of sales in the first half. CSL shares have lost about 17% over the past year and investors were unmoved by the news in early trading today. A nice earner In an earlier note, broker Wilsons estimated Andembry could generate peak annual sales of US$600 million as well as post-tax earnings of US$400 million. Put another way, the firm believes the drug accounts for 7% of CSL's valuation and will add 180 basis points to Behring's gross profit margins. Wilsons says Andembry stacks up against rival product Takhzyro in terms of superior disease control, convenient dosing and 'pristine ' safety. 'Attack-free prophylaxis is a powerful influence on prescribing and the main reason we expect garadacimab to become the new standard of care.' Of course, Andembry could cannibalise Haegarda sales to a degree. Regulators already have approved Andembry in Europe, the UK, Japan, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and Australia. The company will launch Andembry in the US 'immediately', via third-party specialty pharmacies. CSL shares have been buffeted by the uncertainties over US tariffs and drug pricing, as well as softness in its Seqirus flu vaccine division. Neurizon taps the aquarium for drug inspiration Neurizon Therapeutics (ASX:NUZ) announcement this week pertaining to its pre-clinical study of Huntington's disease raises a crucial question: what is the relevance of a zebrafish? The answer is a zebrafish is a freshwater species popular in aquariums, because the piscatorial samples have traits conducive to human biological research. According to sometimes reliable sources – ok, Wikipedia – the zebrafish genome is well developed. It is also 'well-understood, easily observable and with testable developmental behaviours.' Coming back to Neurizon, the company said its lead drug candidate NUZ-001 (monepantel) lead to 'significant neuroprotective effects in a zebrafish model of Huntington's disease'. In essence, NUZ-001 might prevent early neuro-degenerative damage. Neurizon's key focus is on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, a form of motor neurone disease. Former AFL footballer and coach Neale Daniher, the force behind the wildly popular Big Freeze campaign and charity FightMND, suffers ALS. In December last year, the company said a nine-patient study showed that after nine months, NUZ-001 reduced the risk of death by 78%. US researchers win a court reprieve In the latest medical news from Trumpland, a federal judge has deemed that some of the grant terminations foisted on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were 'void and illegal'. The NIH is the world's biggest funder of medical research. The US District Court decision related to two suits filed over the termination of hundreds of grants, which rattled life science researchers. The presiding judge ruled the cuts were invalid because they discriminated against activities including women's health and LGBTQ+ health research. ASX biotechs are likely to be indirectly affected by the cuts – reportedly totalling US$3.8 billion – as their university and hospital partners are deprived of funds. Given the Trump administration doesn't take well to adverse judicial decisions, biotech watchers will wait and see whether the court order is merely a temporary reprieve.
News.com.au
29-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Health Check: Aroa's ‘hero' product propels the wound management house back into black
Aroa shares surge 13% after the company's full-year results exceeded guidance New wound management IPO does the rounds for $35 million Inoviq shares vault up to 58% on early cancer light therapy results Kiwi-based wounds management house Aroa Biosurgery (ASX:ARX) has exceeded its recent revenue and earnings guidance, after a robust second half on the back of its 'hero' Myriad product range. Aroa's revenue came in at NZ$84.7 million for the year to March 2025, 23% higher and slightly above the NZ$81-84 million range the company guided to in late April. Normalised earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortisation (ebitda) were NZ$4.2 million, compared with the previous NZ$3.1 million loss. Once again, the number was a tad above the guided range of NZ$2-4 million. Aroa has also guided to current-year revenue of NZ$92-100 million, 10-20% higher year on year, with ebitda of NZ$5-8 million. CEO Brian Ward stresses the company's 'star product' Myriad has been delivering the goods, with sales up 35%. Myriad is used for complex wounds including trauma and lower limb salvage. Sold via Aroa's partner TELA Bio, sales of its hernia and breast reconstruction tool Ovitex rose 22% Sales of the Endoform wound dressing were flat, as expected. Expanding indications Ward said the company would focus on expanding indications for its products, which are biological materials sourced from ovine intestines. This push is being supported by several clinical studies, such as a lower limb salvage study trial that resulted in quick healing with no complications. 'That's quite different to what we have seen with other technologies,' he says. However, Aroa has 'paused' the rollout of its Symphony product, for hard-to-heal wounds such as diabetic ulcers. This is because the company has won inpatient reimbursement in the US, but not coverage for physicians. The company plans a supportive trial to win full reimbursement. 'The rules are changing and only products with randomised, controlled trials will be reimbursed,' Ward says. 'This will take many rivals out of the market.' Aroa has product approvals across 50 countries, but almost all its revenue derives from the US. CFO James Agnew said the US tariff impact on the company was likely to be around NZ$1.5 million, or around 1% of revenue. Because of transfer pricing arrangements between TELA Bio and Aroa's own US entity, that's far less than the blanket 10% rate Uncle Sam levies on NZ goods. New wound play does the IPO rounds Still on wound management, Tetraherix is defying the barren IPO biotech landscape with a $35 million raising to advance its novel tools for applications including tissue healing, bone regeneration and surgical spacing. Invented by chemical engineer and University of Sydney researcher Dr Ali Fathi, the platform-based tech is the world's first 'biostealth fluid matrix'. Supplied in ready-to-use syringes, the polymer is injected into the relevant anatomy and sets to a 'chewing-gum' consistency that can be easily moulded to suit the application. Eventually, the material breaks down into water and carbon dioxide. Pending expected US Food and Drug Approval, the company hopes to bring its first products to market in the first half of 2026. These are for dental applications and bone regeneration and orthopaedic uses. The company also has tools in the pipeline for scar prevention during surgery and a prostate surgery 'spacer' to protect surrounding tissue (such as the rectum) during radiation therapy. Doing the rounds Joint lead managers Morgans and Barrenjoey are undertaking the institution round which closes next Tuesday, with a limited retail offering open until June 17. The company is expected to list in late June. The shares are offered at $2.88 a pop, amounting to a $155 million market cap and a $115 million enterprise value (allowing for cash on hand). The founder of 'cloud' accounting software giant Xero, Rod Drury is a notable investor. Invion lights up on skin cancer trial The developer of photodynamic therapies (PTDs) for cancers, Invion (ASX:IVX) has passed the initial safety test for its phase I/II non-melanoma skin cancer trial, being carried out in Queensland (of course). A safety review committee found no 'adverse events' among the first treated patients, who were administered Invion's candidate INV-043 as an ointment. What's more, 'early indications show an observable reduction in the lesion size after a single treatment cycle'. Clinician feedback shows patients did not experience any pain during the treatment, 'which compares favourably to currently approved PDT treatments.' By combining oxygen and light, PTDs are known to kill malignant cells and shut down tumors. Known about for more than a century, the science is supported by more than 500 trials. That said, it's been an overlooked area of oncology and Invion is the only listed exemplar. Invion now is proceeding to the second stage of the adaptive trial, which involves dose optimalisation. Meanwhile, the safety data will influence the company's upcoming phase I/II trial for ano-genital cancer, in alliance with the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. Known for wild movements, Invion shares soared up to 58% this morning. Inoviq share freeze highlights disclosure dilemmas A quirky aspect of clinical results is they are not validated until they are presented in a prestigious peer-reviewed publication, or a conference of luminaries. Typically, a company will post top-line results earlier and this can lead to investor confusion about what's new and what's merely additional info for the boffins. On Monday, the ASX suspended share trading in cancer drug developer Inoviq (ASX:IIQ) and queried why the company's shares soared 25%, from 37 cents on Wednesday May 21, to last Friday's high of 46.5 cents. Inoviq yesterday pointed to an abstract poster presentation for an upcoming American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference published online. This outlined 'the background, methods, results and conclusions underpinning the high-level results' of an independent patient validation study of the company's ovarian cancer test. The results of the blood test were 'outstanding', with more than 94% accuracy. Hold the front page! Okay, let it go: the guts of the results were outlined on December 3 last year – and referred to in subsequent ASX disclosures. Inoviq says: 'some shareholders may have missed or misunderstood the significance of and may believe the abstract contains new or better information, which is materially price sensitive.' The company believes that was not the case and did not 'announce' the abstract to the ASX. Fair enough! After all, there's nothing more frustrating than companies hyping up presentations that contain no genuine news. In old tabloid terms it's known as a Bamix job: a beat up. But like all good tabloid yarns, there's a twist: Inoviq will present further trial information that is price sensitive, to the ASCO powwow in Chicago on Sunday. This prezzo is under embargo until that day and Inoviq plans to announce the 'tightly held' information first thing on Monday. In the meantime, it's best the shares remain untradeable.
