Board Appointment, Grant of Options, PDMR Dealing

Theracryf

01/05/2025 07:00

RNS Number : 9372G

Theracryf PLC

01 May 2025

 

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS DEEMED TO CONSTITUTE INSIDE INFORMATION AS STIPULATED UNDER THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATIONS (EU) NO. 596/2014 WHICH FORMS PART OF UK LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018, AS AMENDED. UPON THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT THIS INSIDE INFORMATION IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

 

 

TheraCryf plc

("TheraCryf", the "Company" or the "Group")

Board Appointment, Grant of Options and PDMR Dealings

Alderley Park, UK - 1 May 2025: TheraCryf plc (AIM: TCF), the clinical stage drug development company focussing on neuropsychiatry and oncology today announces a board appointment, grant of options and PDMR dealings.

 

Board appointment

Edward Wardle is appointed to the Board of TheraCryf as a Non-Executive Director, with immediate effect. Edward is nominated by Tracarta Ltd, TheraCryf's largest shareholder. Edward brings board-level experience of strategy, corporate governance and business development. Having founded and led multiple businesses, Edward is currently an investment advisor with Tracarta Ltd and Northern Standard Ltd, focusing on critical industries and cutting edge technologies, as well as Senior Business Development Executive at Ironveld PLC.

 

Grant of options and PDMR Dealings

Certain employees and Persons Discharging Managerial Responsibility ("PDMR"), have been granted options (the "Options") over a total of 289,820,870 Ordinary Shares, exercisable, subject to the Options vesting, for a period of up to 10 years from the date of grant and governed by the rules of the TheraCryf plc Long Term Incentive Plan ("LTIP"), at a price of 0.25 pence Ordinary Share.

In order to align senior management with shareholder interests, specifically growth in value and meeting Company objectives, the LTIP Options will only vest under certain conditions. 75% vest on share price increases up to 10 fold from the recent placing price and 25% on the filing of regulatory permissions for phase 1 clinical trials for the Company's Ox-1 blocker programme in addiction.

As in the previous year, all members of the senior management team have foregone cash bonus payments to extend the Company's cash runway as far as possible and agreed to take Options in their place to an equivalent value. These bonus Options will vest on 1 April 2026.

 

 

Number of Existing Ordinary Shares held
New Ordinary Shares issued in lieu of salary
Aggregate number of Ordinary Shares held
Options held currently
New Options Granted in lieu of cash bonus
New Options granted under LTIP
Aggregate number of options post grant
% of issued share capital including this award***
Dr. Alastair Smith (Chair)
4'000'000
18'324'000
22'324'000
-
-
34'193'418
34'193'418
1.6%
Dr. Alan Barge (Sr. Director)
-
-
-
13'677'367
13'677'367
0.6%
Dr Huw Jones (CEO)
5'184'793
5'184'793
10'894'238
21'647'501
50'150'346
82'692'085
3.8%
Toni Hänninen (CFO)*
3'000'000
3'000'000
3'029'925
14'722'875
38'499'321
56'252'121
2.6%
Dr Helen Kuhlman (PDMR)
2'555'744
2'555'744
4'039'015
12'787'199
41'032'101
57'858'315
2.7%
Dr Glen Clack (PDMR)**
3'000'000
3'000'000
2'212'526
6'850'320
16'640'797
25'703'642
1.2%
Dr Nicholas Mallard (PDMR)
3'220'771
3'220'771
3'944'633
12'213'191
16'640'797
32'798'621
1.5%
Other
5'195'037
-
10'765'640
15'960'676
0.7%
Total
20'961'308
18'324'000
39'285'308
29'315'374
68'221'085
221'599'785
319'136'244
14.9%

*includes Borealito GmbH (a company wholly owned by him)

**includes Ailse Oncology Ltd (a company wholly owned by him)

***The Company's current issued share capital

 

Payment in shares

 

As announced on 19 February 2025, Dr. Alastair Smith has been appointed Non-Executive Chair of the Company. To maximise the Company cash runway and to align with shareholders' interests, he has agreed to receive his Board fees in shares instead of cash for at least the first year of his appointment. Dr. Smith has today been issued a total of 18,324,000 ordinary shares of 0.25 pence each in the Company ("Ordinary Shares"), in lieu of cash remuneration. Dr Smith additionally participated in the recent funding round by subscribing for 4,000,000 Ordinary Shares in March 2025. Additionally, the Company has today issued a further 1,017,317 new Ordinary Shares in lieu of other professional fees.

 

Application will be made for 19,341,317 Ordinary Shares to be admitted to trading on AIM ("Admission"). Admission is expected to occur on or around 2 May 2025 and the Ordinary Shares will, on issue, rank pari passu in all respects with the Company's existing Ordinary Shares.

 

On Admission, the Company will have a total of 2,148,963,739 Ordinary Shares in issue. No Ordinary Shares are held in treasury. The figure of 2,148,963,739 may be used by the Company's shareholders as the denominator in the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company under the Financial Conduct Authority's Disclosure, Guidance and Transparency Rules.

 

Dr Alastair Smith, Non-executive Chair said:

"We welcome Ed to the board and welcome Tracarta's support for our recent fundraise with their significant investment after extensive due diligence.

This funding is enabling TheraCryf to execute on the plans set out to shareholders at the acquisition of Chronos last year. Concentrating on these neuropsychiatry assets, and in particular in the near term, the Ox-1 antagonist, is an important focusing of strategy and resources designed to deliver maximum value to shareholders.

We look forward very much to working with Ed to deliver that value on as short a time scale as possible."

 

The following information is disclosed pursuant to Rule 17 and Schedule Two paragraph (g) of the AIM Rules for Companies in relation to Edward Wardle, aged 33:

 

Current Directorships/Partnerships
The Hammer Organization Ltd
Otherworld Piccadilly Limited
The Dream Corporation Limited*
Otherworld Dublin Limited
Past Directorships/Partnerships (within 5 years)
Otherworld Manchester Limited
Otherworld Birmingham Limited

* Per Schedule Two paragraph (g)(v) of the AIM Rules for Companies - The Dream Corporation Limited is currently undergoing creditors voluntary liquidation, with KRE Corporate Recovery appointed as licensed insolvency practitioners on 22 July 2024. It is currently anticipated there will not be surplus funds to pay a distribution to any class of creditor.

Additionally, Edward Wardle's father, John Wardle, has a beneficial interest in Tracarta Ltd which has an interest of 19.85 percent in TheraCryf, as of 21 March 2025. Although unpaid, Edward has provided consultancy services to Tracarta Ltd since 2020.

The notification set out below is provided in accordance with the requirements of MAR.

 

Notification of a Transaction pursuant to Article 19(1) of Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014
1
Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated
a.
Name
Dr. Alastair Smith
2
Reason for notification
a.
Position/Status
Dr. Alastair Smith (Chair)
b.
Initial notification/
Amendment
Initial Notification
3
Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
a.
Name
TheraCryf plc
b.
LEI
213800NO3E6TSTQO8K20
4
Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted
a.
Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument

 Identification Code
Ordinary Shares of 0.25p each
GB00BSVYN304
b.
Nature of the transaction
Issue of Ordinary Shares in lieu of cash remuneration.
c.
Price(s) and volume(s)
Price: 0.25 pence
Volume: 18,324,000
d.
Aggregated information
- Aggregated Volume
- Price
See above
e.
Date of the transaction
30 April 2025
f.
Place of the transaction
Outside a trading venue


 

Notification of a Transaction pursuant to Article 19(1) of Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014
1
Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated
a.
Name
1. Dr. Alastair Smith
2. Dr. Alan Barge
3. Dr Huw Jones
4. Toni Hänninen
5. Dr Helen Kuhlman
6. Dr Glen Clack
7. Dr Nicholas Mallard
2
Reason for notification
a.
Position/Status
1. Dr. Alastair Smith (Chair)
2. Dr. Alan Barge (Non-Executive Director)
3. Dr Huw Jones (CEO)
4. Toni Hänninen (CFO)
5. Dr Helen Kuhlman (PDMR)
6. Dr Glen Clack (PDMR)
7. Dr Nicholas Mallard (PDMR)
b.
Initial notification/
Amendment
Initial Notification
3
Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
a.
Name
TheraCryf plc
b.
LEI
213800NO3E6TSTQO8K20
4
Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted
a.
Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument

 Identification Code
Options over Ordinary Shares of 0.25p each
GB00BSVYN304
b.
Nature of the transaction
Grant of Options under the TheraCryf plc Long Term Incentive Plan with time vesting conditions attached
c.
Price(s) and volume(s)
Exercise Price(s)
Volume (s)
1.
Dr. Alastair Smith
0.25 pence
34,193,418
2.
Dr. Alan Barge
0.25 pence
13,677,367
3.
Dr Huw Jones
0.25 pence
71,797,846
4.
Toni Hänninen
0.25 pence
53,222,196
5.
Dr Helen Kuhlman
0.25 pence
53,819,300
6.
Dr Glen Clack
0.25 pence
23,491,116
7.
Dr Nicholas Mallard
0.25 pence
28,853,988
d.
Aggregated information
- Aggregated Volume
- Price
See above
e.
Date of the transaction
30 April 2025
f.
Place of the transaction
Outside a trading venue


 

Enquiries

TheraCryf plc
Dr Huw Jones, CEO
Toni Hänninen, CFO
Dr Helen Kuhlman, CBO
+44 (0)1625 315 090
enquiries@theracryf.com
Turner Pope Investments (Joint Broker)
James Pope / Andy Thacker
Cavendish Capital Markets (NOMAD & Joint Broker)Geoff Nash / Teddy Whiley / Rory Sale (Corporate Finance)
 Nigel Birks / Harriet Ward (ECM)
+44 (0)20 3657 0050
+44 (0)20 7220 0500
Vigo Consulting
Rozi Morris
+44 (0)20 7390 0231
theracryf@vigoconsulting.com

 

About TheraCryf plc

TheraCryf is a clinical stage drug development company focussing on oncology and neuropsychiatry. The Company has a broad clinical and preclinical pipeline in indications including glioblastoma* neurodevelopmental disorders, addiction, anxiety and narcolepsy [*orphan indication].

The Company's strategy is to generate compelling data sets to preclinical and/or clinical proof of concept and partner its clinical programmes with mid-size to large pharma for larger trials and commercialisation. As well as a number of industry partnerships with companies, including Stalicla SA, in neurodevelopmental disorders.  The Company has sourced know how for programmes from companies such as Shire (now Takeda).

TheraCryf has worked with and has ongoing collaborations with major universities and hospitals such as the University of Manchester, La Sapienza (Università di Roma), the Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Kings College London and the University of Michigan.

The Company has its headquarters and registered office at Alderley Park, Cheshire. It is quoted on AIM in London and trades under the ticker symbol TCF. 

For further information, please visit: www.theracryf.com

 

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