London: The British biotech company Intercytex (ICX.L) with a market capitalisation of $98m (£50m, 76m) which floated on the UK’s Alternative Investment Market earlier this year, has an attractive pipeline of products within the anti-ageing and rejuvenation sector – all based on cell culture.
Last year it secured a UK government investment of $3.72m (£1.9m, 2.87m) to develop a baldness cure by growing hair follicles for transplant. But it will be a while before this product comes to market, particularly since it needs the approval of the governments Medicines & Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA). It is also growing human skin for the treatment of burns and other serious medical conditions such as ulcers.
But the most interesting product which the company is already talking to cosmetic surgeons about is the worlds first anti-ageing skin rejuvenation injection made from human baby foreskins. These are the most potent skin cells it is so far possible to harvest promising that the treatment will be far more effective than any other to date. And dont be deceived into believing that the yuk factor will put women (and even men) off trying it. A skin cream containing cells from a similar source has become a best seller in the US.
What is different about this treatment is that the cells are immune silent which means they can be injected into anyone without allergic or immune reactions. They do not need the expensive individual storage conditions required for own cells.
This makes the cost of bringing the treatment to market cheaper and it will cost only a few hundred pounds compared to the only similar product Isolagen, which used a persons own cells and was charging £4,500 in the UK because of expensive storage and was forced to close its operation last year.
In addition the raw material is free from the US where hospitals are forbidden to sell body parts and the process requires only one foreskin each year – grow millions of cells to treat many thousands of patients
After positive results from efficacy tests on arms, the company now undertaking facial trials before treating its first consumers.
The global market for anti-ageing products and services is estimated at US $56 billion worldwide (£29.7bn, 43bn) so the potential for this product is enormous.
At the moment Intercytex share price its languishing below its float price at around £1.08 p so it would seem sensible to get in early like the institutions Framlington (5%) Foreign & Colonial (3%) Avlar (25%). BUY