Animalcare Group
plc
("Animalcare", the "Company"
or the "Group")
Sale of equity in STEM Animal
Health Inc. to Dechra Pharmaceuticals Limited
Exclusive Licence and
Distribution Agreement for biofilm products
enhanced
11
April 2024. Animalcare Group plc
(AIM: ANCR), the international animal health business, today
announces that it has reached agreement in principle to sell its
33.34% equity stake in STEM Animal Health Inc. (STEM) to Dechra
Pharmaceuticals Limited ("Dechra") for a total cash payment of
US$4.7m, payable upon completion of the transaction. STEM is
currently owned by Animalcare and Canada-based Kane Biotech Inc.
("Kane Biotech").
Other items covered by the agreement
(the "Agreement") will bring the total potential monetary value of
the deal for the Group to approximately US$5.4m. The sale of the
minority stake secures a positive return on investment for
Animalcare while further strengthening the Group's cash position
following the disposal of Identicare announced on 28 February
2024.
STEM was established in September
2020 as a joint venture by Animalcare and Kane Biotech with a focus
on treating biofilm-related ailments in animals. Under that
agreement, Animalcare was granted rights to commercialise products
based on Kane Biotech's coactiv+TM and DispersinB®
technology in global veterinary markets outside the
Americas.
Under the terms of the Agreement, the
existing licence and distribution agreement with STEM will be
extended to allow Animalcare access to all channels in Europe and
the UK. This means Animalcare can maximise the value of the dental
franchise through both veterinary and retail channels including via
e-commerce.
In addition, Animalcare will maintain
influence over the choice of new product development options
associated with the licensed intellectual property through a newly
formed joint innovation team with Dechra and Kane
Biotech.
Completion of the transaction
requires the consent of more than 50% of the shareholders of Kane
Biotech.
Chief Executive Officer of Animalcare, Jenny Winter
said: "This transaction offers value
for Animalcare on several levels. Not only have we secured an
attractive return on our equity investment in STEM that adds to our
investment firepower, we have gained enhanced commercial licensing
rights that grant us more options to reach pet owners in these key
markets. Further into the future, I'm also excited about the
potential to accelerate development of new biofilm-targeting
products by combining the knowledge and resources of all three
parties."
About Animalcare
Animalcare Group plc is a UK
AIM-listed international veterinary sales and marketing
organisation. Animalcare operates in seven countries and exports to
approximately 40 countries in Europe and worldwide. The Group is
focused on bringing new and innovative products to market through
its own development pipeline, partnerships and via
acquisition.
For more information about
Animalcare, please visit www.animalcaregroup.com
or contact:
Animalcare Group plc
Jenny Winter, Chief Executive
Officer
Chris Brewster, Chief Financial
Officer
Media/investor relations
|
+44 (0)1904 487 687
communications@animalcaregroup.com
|
Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited
(Nominated Adviser & Joint Broker)
Ben Maddison
Nick Adams
Nick Harland
Francis North
|
+44 (0)20 7710 7600
|
Panmure Gordon
(Joint Broker)
Corporate Finance
Freddy Crossley/Emma Earl
Corporate Broking
Rupert Dearden
|
+44 (0)20 7886 2500
|