REG - ValiRx PLC - ValiRx Exercises Option on Evaluation Asset

ValiRxAnnouncement

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RNS Number : 4057G  ValiRx PLC  01 June 2026

1 June 2026

 

ValiRx PLC

("ValiRx" or the "Company")

 

ValiRx Exercises Option on Evaluation Asset

 

London, UK - ValiRx Plc (AIM: VAL), a life science company focusing on
early-stage cancer therapeutics and women's health is pleased to provide the
following update on its evaluation agreement with The Royal Institute for the
advancement of Learning / McGill University ("McGill"), a Canadian based
University and The Institute for Research in Immunology, and Cancer -
Commercialization of Research ("IRICoR"), a Canadian based non-profit
organisation (announced on 9 January 2026).

ValiRx is pleased to announce that Inaphaea BioLabs Ltd. ("Inaphaea") has
successfully completed the evaluation of the second generation, orally
available, RNA Helicase inhibitor from McGill/IRICoR four months ahead of
schedule. Following completion of  the evaluation, the Company has exercised
its option to negotiate definitive agreements for an exclusive licence of
intellectual property rights to be granted to a newly incorporated Canadian
entity ("NewCo") to exploit, develop and commercialise the technology and
background intellectual property in exchange for equity in NewCo and
royalty/milestone payments to be agreed. The agreement will include licensing
of the Company's evaluation results into NewCo for a pre-agreed equity holding
and a commitment to fund initial pre clinical development work with an
estimated cost of £150,000 for a further equity consideration.

The NewCo will seek external non-dilutive and dilutive funding and ValiRx (and
potentially other investors arranged by ValiRx) may, subject to availability
of funds, provide up to £2 million of seed funding ("Seed Funding"). Any such
Seed Funding would be provided in tranches in line with the cash requirements,
in exchange for further equity under a development plan provided by the
Company.

ValiRx expects to be able to provide further updates to the market on the
progress of this asset in due course including a cross license for the
Companion Animal rights to its wholly owned subsidiary ValiRx Animal Health
Ltd ("VAH").

Mark Eccleston, CEO of ValiRx commented "I am really pleased to be able to
progress this asset ahead of schedule. This achievement reflects both the
strength of the existing data package available from McGill and the up-front
due diligence performed by ValiRx, in particular our Director of Research,
Michelle Barnard, who has worked closely with the scientific and commercial
teams at McGill and IRICoR to develop and execute a critical path plan. This
really supports the new approach ValiRx is taking to asset evaluation and
licensing and highlights the critical value of our in-house capabilities
through Inaphaea. The structure of the agreement is largely agreed and we
expect to be able to proceed rapidly to the establishment of the Canadian
Newco to progress through the phases of human medicine whilst developing
applications in the companion animal market through VAH. Discussions with a
range of external investors are underway and, in some cases, have proceeded to
due diligence".

 

*** ENDS ***

Engage with the ValiRx management team directly by asking questions, watching
video
summaries and seeing what other shareholders have to say. Navigate to
our Interactive Investor
hub here: https://valirx.com/s/cc8ef3

For more information, please contact:

 

 Investor questions on this announcement           https://valirx.com/link/PRVB3P

 We encourage all investors to share questions

 on this announcement via our investor hub
 ValiRx plc                                        Tel: +44 115 784 0026

                                                   www.valirx.com (http://www.valirx.com)

 Dr Mark Eccleston, CEO                            Mark.Eccleston@valirx.com

 Cairn Financial Advisers LLP (Nominated Adviser)  Tel: +44 (0) 20 7213 0880

 Liam Murray / Ludovico Lazzaretti

 Shard Capital Partners LLP (Sole Broker)          Tel: +44 (0) 20 7186 9000

 Damon Heath

 V Formation (Public Relations)                    +44 (0) 115 646 5491

                                                   www.vformation..co.uk

 Jocelyn Braithwaite

                                                   jocelyn@vformation.co.uk

 

Subscribe to our news alert service: https://valirx.com/s/f298d1
(https://valirx.com/s/f298d1)

 

Notes for Editors

About ValiRx

ValiRx is a life science company focused on early-stage cancer therapeutics
and women's health, accelerating the translation of innovative science into
impactful medicines to improve patient lives.

ValiRx provides the scientific, financial, and commercial framework for
enabling rapid translation of innovative science into clinical development.

Using its extensive and proven experience in research and drug development,
the team at ValiRx selects and incubates promising novel drug candidates and
guides them through an optimised process of development, from pre-clinical
studies to clinic and investor-ready assets.

ValiRx connects diverse disciplines across scientific, technical, and
commercial domains, with the aim of achieving a more streamlined, less costly,
drug development process. The team works closely with carefully selected
collaborators and leverages the combined expertise required for science to
advance.

Lead candidates from ValiRx's portfolio are outlicensed or partnered with
investors through ValiRx subsidiary companies for further clinical development
and commercialisation.

ValiRx listed on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange in October 2006
and trades under the ticker symbol: VAL.

For further information, visit: www.valirx.com (http://www.valirx.com)

 

Certain statements made in this announcement are forward-looking statements.
Such statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and are
subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events
or results to differ materially from any expected future events or results
expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. Persons receiving
this announcement should not place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements. Unless otherwise required by applicable law, regulation or
accounting standard, the Company does not undertake to update or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future
developments or otherwise.

 

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