Avacta

FY24: shift to pure play biopharma nears completion

Lighthouse | 11 June 2025

Share this note

  • Avacta’s two lead pre|CISION programmes should deliver key data over the next 18 months. Initial AVA6000 (FAP-Dox) data in salivary gland cancer (SGC) are due late-2025 and will include patients from both the completed Phase Ia dose escalation and the ongoing Phase Ib dose expansion cohorts. Similar data in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) are expected in H126. Subject to funding, Phase II trials evaluating a 310mg/m2 AVA6000 dose (equivalent to 209mg/m2 conventional doxorubicin) in both SGC and TNBC are planned for H126. The AVA6103 (FAP-EXd) IND submission is on track for late 2025, with plans for Phase I initiation in Q126 and first data Q426.
  • Management highlighted two developments in 2024 that are critical to plans and value creation. The first, the Tempus collaboration, has helped define the addressable patient populations, refining indication selection for Avacta’s pipeline, and potentially enabling smarter clinical trial planning using AI. The second, the filing of IP related to the pre|CISION enabled sustained release mechanism first employed in AVA6103, broadens the applicability of the pre|CISION platform and could seed future collaborations that couple Avacta’s technology with a partner’s payload. This foundational IP covers modifications to PK/PD and the delivery/release of a payload in the tumour micro-environment or tumour site using proprietary cap/linker technology.
  • Avacta reported FY24 revenue of £24.4m (FY23: £24.0m), with £24.3m from Diagnostics (now a discontinued operation) and £0.1m (FY23: £2.85m, including AffyXell milestones) from Therapeutics. On a continuing operations basis, R&D costs were £14.3m (FY23: £13.1m), largely due to ongoing AVA6000 and AVA6103 investment. Higher SG&A expenses of £12.0m (FY23: £7.9m) included £2.0m in exceptional items connected to Diagnostics, and increased personnel (management changes) and legal/professional (strategic shift to Therapeutics) costs. Together with non-cash items relating to the convertible bond (we note prior year restatements linked to the CB and a 2022 AffyXell milestone) the net loss from continuing operations was £29.4m (FY23: £29.2m). End-December 2024 cash of c £12.9m (end-FY23: £16.6m) was boosted by the March 2025 Launch Diagnostics divestment. At end-April 2025 cash stood at £17.3m, providing a cash runway into Q126.

Trinity Delta view: Avacta’s transition to a pure play oncology biopharma company is nearly complete, pending conclusion of the Coris divestment. Lead asset, AVA6000, has successfully demonstrated the pre|CISION platform’s ability for tumour-specific delivery of potent and toxic actives with minimal systemic effects and will render further clinical data in H225. Second asset, AVA6103, should enter the clinic in 2026, and will be the first programme to demonstrate the pre|CISION platform sustained release mechanism. This new IP, and a better appreciation of the scope of the pre|CISION platform gleaned from the Tempus collaboration, provides multiple new opportunities for Avacta to unlock value through generating and developing a pipeline of highly novel tumour targeting drug conjugates, subject to securing funding. Our last published Avacta valuation is £449m ($561m), equivalent to 119p/share (112p fully diluted).

Lighthouse

11 June 2025

Price36.5p
Market Cap£141.3m
Primary exchangeAIM
SectorHealthcare
Company CodeAVCT
Corporate clientYes

Company description

Avacta is a clinical stage biotech focused on the novel pre|CISION platform to generate peptide drug conjugates to target delivery of toxic payloads into the tumour microenvironment, which has the potential to expand the reach and reduce the systemic toxicities of highly potent cancer therapeutics. Lead programme AVA6000 is in Phase Ib, with multiple next generation candidates in preclinical development.

Analysts

Lala Gregorek
lgregorek@trinitydelta.org
+44 (0) 20 3637 5043

Philippa Gardner
pgardner@trinitydelta.org
+44 (0) 20 3637 5042

Disclaimer

Trinity Delta Research Limited (“TDRL”; firm reference number: 725161), which trades as Trinity Delta, is an appointed representative of Equity Development Limited (“ED”). The contents of this report, which has been prepared by and is the sole responsibility of TDRL, have been reviewed, but not independently verified, by ED which is authorised and regulated by the FCA, and whose reference number is 185325.

ED is acting for TDRL and not for any other person and will not be responsible for providing the protections provided to clients of TDRL nor for advising any other person in connection with the contents of this report and, except to the extent required by applicable law, including the rules of the FCA, owes no duty of care to any other such person. No reliance may be placed on ED for advice or recommendations with respect to the contents of this report and, to the extent it may do so under applicable law, ED makes no representation or warranty to the persons reading this report with regards to the information contained in it.

In the preparation of this report TDRL has used publicly available sources and taken reasonable efforts to ensure that the facts stated herein are clear, fair and not misleading, but make no guarantee or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the information or opinions contained herein, nor to provide updates should fresh information become available or opinions change.

Any person who is not a relevant person under section of Section 21(2) of the Financial Services & Markets Act 2000 of the United Kingdom should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents. Research on its client companies produced by TDRL is normally commissioned and paid for by those companies themselves (‘issuer financed research’) and as such is not deemed to be independent, as defined by the FCA, but is ‘objective’ in that the authors are stating their own opinions. The report should be considered a marketing communication for purposes of the FCA rules. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and it is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research. TDRL does not hold any positions in any of the companies mentioned in the report, although directors, employees or consultants of TDRL may hold positions in the companies mentioned. TDRL does impose restrictions on personal dealings. TDRL might also provide services to companies mentioned or solicit business from them.

This report is being provided to relevant persons to provide background information about the subject matter of the note. This document does not constitute, nor form part of, and should not be construed as, any offer for sale or purchase of (or solicitation of, or invitation to make any offer to buy or sell) any Securities (which may rise and fall in value). Nor shall it, or any part of it, form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any contract or commitment whatsoever. The information that we provide is not intended to be, and should not in any manner whatsoever be, construed as personalised advice. Self-certification by investors can be completed free of charge at www.fisma.org. TDRL, its affiliates, officers, directors and employees, and ED will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from any use of this document, to the maximum extent that the law permits.

Copyright 2025 Trinity Delta Research Limited. All rights reserved.