Ekf Diagnostics Share Discussion Threads

[wan] 30/6/2023 07:13

Significant progress continues to be delivered and executed -

14 hours ago

We are delighted to share a progress update on our upcoming Life Sciences Precision Fermentation facility in South Bend, Indiana, USA. As we gear up for the grand opening later this year, we have reached a major milestone with the arrival of our impressive 14,500-liter fermenter! 🌟

📸 Photos: Witness the scale of our new facility as the 14,500-liter fermenter undergoes meticulous delivery and assembly on-site.

But that's not all! The progress doesn't stop there. We are also thrilled to announce that our 10,000-liter feed system is nearing its final completion. This remarkable system will complement our fermentation capabilities, ensuring efficient and optimized processes for our valued clients. 🌾

With these cutting-edge fermenters coming together, we are excited about the immense potential they hold. Our facility is poised to deliver innovative solutions for the Diagnostic, Industrial, and Food sectors, propelling advancements in the field of Life Sciences. 🚀

We must not forget our longstanding commitment to excellence. Our new South Bend facility will work in harmony with our existing site at Elkhart, Indiana, USA, where we have been pioneers in scale-up, process development, and large-scale fermentation since 1983!

Stay tuned for more updates as we inch closer to the launch of our state-of-the-art Life Sciences Precision Fermentation facility. We are thrilled to embark on this journey, driving forward the frontiers of biotechnology and bioprocessing!

[tongosti] 29/6/2023 14:02

WanThis game is not about taking sides pal. However, if you feel compelled you should start a thread about your favourite football team?

[buywell3] 29/6/2023 10:11

Have you caught Covid-19 recently ?

If so read on




Since Covid-19 is a VERY transmissible disease as we all now have experienced

buywell posits that this thread title

Alzheimer's can be caught .... It's a transmissible disease

Is in fact now proven by the following


----------------- Long Covid = Long Term Problem ---------------------


The Cleveland Clinic in the US is a well renowned and respected institution

100 Years of Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic: A Centennial History

Cleveland Clinic was at the forefront of modern medicine when it was first organized as a multi-specialty group practice in 1921. From a small outpatient clinic, it has grown to become the world’s first integrated international health system. With more than 65,000 caregivers worldwide, Cleveland Clinic has almost 6 million patient visits per year, at more than 200 locations.


Regarding Oxygen Therapy the Cleveland Clinic state:

What is oxygen therapy?

Oxygen therapy helps people with lung diseases or breathing problems get the oxygen their bodies need to function.
This oxygen is supplemental (additional) to what you breathe in from the air.
You may also hear the term supplemental oxygen.


Who needs oxygen therapy?

You may need oxygen therapy if you have:

Asthma, bronchitis or emphysema.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
COVID-19.
Cystic fibrosis.
Heart failure.
Lung cancer or other cancers.
Pneumonia.
Pulmonary fibrosis.
Sleep apnea.


The Cleveland Clinic also state :

What are signs of low oxygen levels (hypoxia)?

You can’t always tell when your oxygen levels are low. When symptoms occur, you may experience:

Shortness of breath.
Bluish tint to skin, lips and nails.
Extreme fatigue.
Severe headaches.
Coughing or wheezing.
Fast pulse and heart rate.
Confusion.




buywell points out in recent posts the NHS state:

Home oxygen therapy can help with symptoms such as:

breathlessness
feeling tired all the time
memory problems
coughing



Note that ALL four in the NHS list above appear in the Cleveland Clinic list and ALL four are also symptoms of Long Covid

The US CDC goes further still stating:

Long Covid symptoms include

People with Long COVID may experience many symptoms.

People with Long COVID can have a wide range of symptoms that can last weeks, months, or even years after infection. Sometimes the symptoms can even go away and come back again. For some people, Long COVID can last weeks, months, or years after COVID-19 illness and can sometimes result in disability.

Long COVID may not affect everyone the same way. People with Long COVID may experience health problems from different types and combinations of symptoms happening over different lengths of time. Though most patients’ symptoms slowly improve with time, speaking with your healthcare provider about the symptoms you are experiencing after having COVID-19 could help determine if you might have Long COVID.

People who experience Long COVID most commonly report:

General symptoms (Not a Comprehensive List)

Tiredness or fatigue that interferes with daily life
Symptoms that get worse after physical or mental effort (also known as “post-exertional malaise”)
Fever
Respiratory and heart symptoms

Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Cough
Chest pain
Fast-beating or pounding heart (also known as heart palpitations)
Neurological symptoms

Difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes referred to as “brain fog”)
Headache
Sleep problems
Dizziness when you stand up (lightheadedness)
Pins-and-needles feelings
Change in smell or taste
Depression or anxiety
Digestive symptoms

Diarrhea
Stomach pain
Other symptoms

Joint or muscle pain
Rash
Changes in menstrual cycles


buywell concludes:

The WHO state that 36 Million people in the EU now suffer from Long Covid



The CDC state that around 20% of Americans acquiring Covid-19 develop Long Covid ie around 20 Million in the US.



IMO long term Home Oxygen Therapy will be a recognized treatment for Long Covid sufferers

When that happens the global market for oxygen concentrators will double --- and since new variants of Covid-19 continue --- so too does the number of long term sufferers with Long Covid.

This problem of Long Covid is NOT going away --- it is in fact getting worse

Increasing numbers of those that suffer this disease are now unable to work any more which also means long term unemployment issues are on the increase.

Worldwide -- Long Covid needs urgent government initiatives and solutions now

dyor


Addendum

Confusion, memory problems and loss of smell are all symptoms of Long Covid

Plaques in the brains of Covid-19 patients have recently been identified, such similar plaques have also been identified in the brains of people suffering from dementia

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can produce short-term and long-term symptoms.
Researchers of a new study found that amyloids, the abnormal proteins that are also known to cause Alzheimer’s, could be formed during SARS-CoV-2 infection, which could explain some of the symptoms experienced.
The research suggests that the immune system’s interaction with SARS-CoV-2 may be leading to the production of these misfolded spike proteins, resulting in blood clots and neurological symptoms.

[wan] 29/6/2023 10:02

James, there has been lot of restructuring and strategic change that has already taken place, positioning EKF for long-term sustainable growth, with Significant revenue growth expected from 2024, so I am not personally phased by the continued transition and changes surrounding and delivering that.

Again the CEO change was and is orderly, with the previous CEO, Mike Salter now CEO Americas at EKF Diagnostics, and he remains a key part of the Management, reporting directly to the Board. The new recruitment for a CEO was also well flagged.

The only new change is the CFO moving on but facilitated by up to a six month handover, so I don't see anything chaotic about that, nor with regard to the expected new CEO.

I would point out though that EKF stated the following in their AR: "Until the appointment of a new CEO, the Board believes that any other revision to Board composition would be inappropriate. We have adopted the Corporate Governance Code issued by the Quoted Company Alliance and our two independent Non-executive Directors, Chris Rigg and Jenny Winter, continue to play very important roles."

Given the CFO's 6 month handover, and EKF no longer accepting applications for the role of CEO, one assumes that the appointment of a CEO is probably not too far away (and aligning with the above statement).

EKF has flagged the possibility of a US listing, so lets give current management, and indeed the new executives the backing and the chance to deliver as a UK listed, global, sustainable high-growth business.

[james188] 29/6/2023 09:04

wan,

Assuming that the intended replacements are executed on time, EKF will be on its third CEO and CFO in just over two years. They also appointed a Chief Technical Officer and then dispensed with him during that period. Don’t you find that rather unsettling?

[wan] 29/6/2023 07:59

James, the previous CFO, Richard Evans was in the job for many years, so to say "yet another CFO departs" implies we have seen numerous CFO's, which is not the case. Clearly there is an orderly handover taking place.

With regard to the CEO, EKF is currently recruiting, or rather they were as they are no longer accepting applications -

Chief Executive Officer
EKF Diagnostics · Penarth, Wales, United Kingdom (Hybrid) 2 weeks ago
Full-time
201-500 employees

See how you compare to 16 applicants.
No longer accepting applications

About the job
Overview


In short, I don't see the chaos that you suggest!

[richman777114] 28/6/2023 22:59

au contraire-i say JB having a clearout under Mills's direction with quality mgmt incomingjust my opinion

[james188] 28/6/2023 17:57

Yet another CFO departs in short order and we know that the CEO wants out asap. The degree of senior management churn in recent times is a huge concern to me and the polar opposite of what the company needs. A complete mess and a disgrace.

The major shareholders need to get a grip. I hope that the institutional holders (and the NEDS) are applying huge pressure to sort this out, as private shareholders have very little leverage. I still worry that the company will be taken private and PIs shafted. There is lots of form, particularly with Mills/Harwood.

The sadness is that here is a potentially decent set of operating businesses beneath all
this chaos, but unless and until there is a settled and competent management team that actually delivers, I will not invest further. In fact, I am seriously considering whether to bail out at a loss and reinvest in companies where the management is much more stable.

[wan] 20/6/2023 07:28

Given todays very encouraging update, it's also worth bearing in mind the following from the AGM Statement -

"The results also provided an update on the progress of the Life Sciences fermentation investment, which remains an exciting opportunity to deliver rapid scaling of operational volume and with the potential for significant revenue growth beyond current conservative guidance."

Along with the fact that EKF has also indicated that: "the expected contribution from our expanded Life Sciences capacity coming online over the second half of the year, we naturally expect our overall financial performance to be more H2-weighted than historically. Continued growth from our 'razor, razor blade' consumable model in Point of Care is also expected to contribute to that positive momentum as we progress through the financial year."

[srichardson8] 19/6/2023 14:26

the major point of reference on probable price reversal was I thought the big purchase by Gresham House a few weeks back at the beginning of June. One imagines they will have received a reasonably upbeat messages from the management.

[tongosti] 19/6/2023 11:35

For the first time in a looooong while, the market is acting very favourably. Very, very good price action. Litmus test now is holding 30p level for the breakout to be totally legitimate.

[wan] 19/6/2023 10:40

More cold water being poured on the scaremongering suggestions, again being validated by further positive price action, and that's without news (which might be in the wings and on numerous fronts).

[wan] 12/6/2023 09:31

comsak...Thank you for the podcast re precision fermation (starts at 39 mins).

[tongosti] 10/6/2023 12:49

...and importantly it gives us something to judge the management against. LolThe best objective metric to judge any management team is a rolling 1/3/5/10 year share price performance. The rest is conversation. Please enlighten me what I get wrong. Keen to learn old chap

[comsack] 09/6/2023 12:38

Jim Mellon discusses Liberation Labs on the Merryn talks money podcast

[comsack] 09/6/2023 12:36

Jim Mellon discussing Liberation Labs

[wan] 09/6/2023 12:31

For context -
In response to one of my AGM questions (not directly about Liberation Labs), Julian Baines (JB) said they were in discussion with Liberation Labs (LL) who are looking to build out fermentation to the 100,000 litre scale. However, like EKF's 14,500 litre vessels, you start with the smaller vessels and then scale to their 14,500 litre vessels. In short, JB said that EKF is talking with LL with a view to working with them to provide the smaller volumes e.g. 14,500 litres ahead of LL scaling up to much larger volumes.

[wan] 09/6/2023 12:27

Liberation Labs
18h ago

Progress! Site prep has begun at the location of our flagship #biomanufacturing plant in Richmond, Indiana, which will have a commercial-scale capacity of 600,000 liters of #precisionfermentation and associated DSP.

We're gearing up for the official #groundbreaking in a few weeks as we work toward commencing operations in late 2024

[tongosti] 09/6/2023 11:57

Don't think wan gets that. Have made the same point several times in the past but in vain. House brokers are corporate cheerleaders and that's a fact not an opinion. As Buffett used to say - never go ask a barber if you need a haircut.

[mpage] 09/6/2023 09:36

Yes, analysts' estimates are useful but typically reflect the guidance that management has given them. EKF appears to be only covered by three brokers. One of those will be the house broker and will always look on the bright side of life. Another is likely to be paid to provide marketing (think Edison, Hardman)and so, we should not place undue faith in their numbers. Also, in uncertain situations, analysts often get their estimates quite wrong - target prices, in particular, should be treated with great caution, if not ignored.

Meanwhile, the enzyme vats will eventually come on stream and sales will follow in due course. Quantum and timeline uncertain. Obviously, these events won't conveniently occur in time for an interim or annual reporting period. That's why companies provide trading statements to update us on progress: on target/better/worse than expected. If the endgame is a trade sale then we just need to be patient.

[wan] 09/6/2023 08:51

Yes you are right, that is a load of piffle!

Estimates are not nonsense as they provide an important guide, and importantly it gives us something to judge the management against, and for the company to advise when the outcome might be different.

Receivables are important, but they are somewhat after the event, which some investors prefer to react to.

[cisk] 09/6/2023 08:10

Wan, I think I’ll set up my own plc, with p&l based on my own conservative estimates. Of course I’ll throw AI in there.

I’ll pump the share price and then retire to the Bahamas. What a load of piffle. Estimates are nonsense, receivables is what we - and the market - care about.

[wan] 09/6/2023 07:59

Just to add that the future revenues/profits are based on conservative assumptions by the Chairman and CFO.

[wan] 08/6/2023 16:19

Currently a very low PE ratio, arguably being validated by price action ;-).

I wouldn't apply the following just yet, but the average PE for diagnostic companies in the US is well over 20. EKF currently derive 60% of their revenues in the US which is likely to increase.

Food for thought and worth keeping the following points in mind (amongst others) given EKF's relationships, know how and manufacturing capabilities -

From my AGM post 3092: Artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to develop the enzymes that EKF manufacture, and includes CRISPR 9 enzyme manufacturing for use in molecular diagnostics. For context, it is considered by some experts that CRISPR-based diagnostics could reshape the field of point-of-care molecular diagnostics (Julian described a CRISPR based diagnostic as incredible (or something like that). Readers may recall that EKF highlighted in a recent presentation that molecular enzymes will be manufactured for both third party OEM, and EKF brand.
(END)

However, there are certain obstacles for its use in POC applications, including difficulties in sample processing and stability. A transport media product should be resistant to harsh conditions, be independent from cold-chain storage and handling, be easy to use with zero-to-minimal training by the end-user. Sound familiar?

Again, I would also flag the use of enzymes being used in the areas of genomics and forensics. In NGS sample and library preparation, you probably use enzymes at almost every critical step (source: Cytiva).

[tongosti] 08/6/2023 10:53

"Compelling"!