Business
Acquisition of VHH NGF programme & related assets
Animalcare Group plc (AIM: ANCR) acquired the VHH NGF programme and related assets from Orthros Medical for €0.7 million cash. This acquisition terminates a licensing agreement from March 2022 and grants Animalcare full ownership and control, eliminating future financial obligations, including development, regulatory, and commercial milestones and royalties. The VHH NGF programme researches antibodies for treating osteoarthritis pain in horses and dogs, complementing Animalcare's existing Daxocox product. This acquisition, coupled with a new partnership with 272Bio, allows Animalcare to independently develop and commercialize the technology across various species and indications, furthering its strategy of building a pipeline of innovative products. Early results from the lead equine asset show promise, and Animalcare plans to explore additional applications in larger animal health markets globally. Disclaimer*
About this update from Animalcare Group Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n\nRNS Reach\nAnimalcare Group plc\n(\"Animalcare\" or the \"Group\" or the \"Company\")\n \nAcquisition of VHH NGF programme and related assets from Orthros Medical\nAcquisition delivers strategic value and unlocks full control of future development\n \n22 August 2025. Animalcare Group plc (AIM: ANCR) announces that it has acquired the VHH NGF programme* and related assets under the licence agreement previously signed with Orthros Medical in March 2022, which has subsequently been terminated, for a cash consideration of €0.7m.\n \nThe current VHH NGF programme is researching the effectiveness of antibodies in the treatment of pain caused by osteoarthritis in horses and dogs. The assets under development could be complementary to Daxocox, the Group's COX-2 inhibitor approved for the treatment of osteoarthritis-related pain in dogs. In the future, as a consequence of Animalcare now owning the assets, additional programmes will be explored across a variety of species and different diseases where NGF has a role. \n \nThe transaction offers value on two levels. Firstly, it provides the Group with full ownership and control of the intellectual property and associated assets, enabling independent development and commercialisation of the technology across a range of indications and species, furthering the Group's strategy to build a pipeline of innovative products. At the same time, the outstanding significant future potential financial obligations under the license agreement have been extinguished, which included development, regulatory and commercial milestones and royalties due on net sales.\n \nTogether with the Group's new development partner, 272Bio, a highly experienced and skilled biotherapeutics company specialising in VHH antibody technology, Animalcare is making strong progress with the lead equine asset from the VHH NGF programme, with early results reinforcing the Board's confidence in the programme's potential.\n \nAnimalcare is continuing to advance antibody programmes to assess the potential in additional species and new indications, which could give the Group access to innovative products in some of the largest animal health markets globally.\n \nJenny Winter, Chief Executive Officer of Animalcare Group plc said: \"The acquisition of the VHH NGF programme and new partnership wit...