Join our community of smart investors

Vernalis director coughs up the cash

A director in biotech outfit Vernalis has bought shares in the business following a crucial regulatory approval
May 14, 2015

Shares in Vernalis (VER) have surged since the Aim-traded biotech announced on 1 May that the US Food and Drug Administration had approved its slow-release cold and cough product, Tuzistra.

IC TIP: Buy at 62p

The long-awaited decision was crucial for investor confidence, given that chief executive Ian Garland had warned last summer that the company's financial results would be "lumpy" until Tuzistra was given the go-ahead. Now, he says Tuzistra is set to launch ahead of the 2015-16 US cough and cold season. He added that the green-light from the FDA marked a "very significant moment in the evolution of Vernalis to a commercial stage speciality pharmaceutical company".

Perhaps it's no surprise, then, that non-executive director Nigel Sheail topped up his holding in Vernalis by 40 per cent on 6 May, buying 84,000 shares for £50,316. He clearly believes the company is on the right path.

Buys
CompanyDirectorDateNo of sharesPrice (p)Value (£)Holding (shares)Holding (%)
AstraZeneca Ann Cairns30 Apr 151,1004,45549,0052,325<0.001
Balfour Beatty PS Aiken (ch)06 May 155,000238.611,9305,0000.001
BATM Advanced Communications LtdDr Zvi Marom (ce)30 Apr 152,000,00012.63252,50096,394,50023.910
British American Tobacco Dimitri Panayotopoulos30 Apr 155503,604.5019,825550<0.001
Candover Investments Malcolm Fallen (ce)01 May 151,6583305,47123,9610.110
Capital & Regional ♥Louis Norval06 May 153,500,00056.51,977,500201,048,09928.690
Capital & Regional ♥Louis Norval05 May 15500,00056280,000197,548,09928.191
Close Brothers Ω Elizabeth Lee05 May 151131,5821,78854,9170.037
Frontier IP Ω Jim Fish (fd)30 Apr 1560,00021.0512,630160,0000.601
Frontier IP Ω  Andrew Richmond (ch)30 Apr 15250,00021.553,7501,250,0004.699
Goodwin ♥ SC Birks06 May 152002,480.114,9602000.003
Griffin Mining ♥Adam Usdan01 May 151,000,00040400,00030,574,55618.271
hVIVO Jim Winschel Jr06 May 158,000321.625,72823,7020.035
Imperial Innovations  Dr Linda Poil Wilding30 Apr 1515,00046569,75015,0000.011
Jubilee Platinum Colin Bird (ch)06 May 15600,0001.659,9009,116,5121.280
Judges Scientific ΩDavid Barnbrook05 May 151221,4651,78721,9130.364
Judges Scientific ΩRalph Cohen05 May 151231,4651,80258,2010.967
Jupiter Fund Management ΩPhilip Johnson (cfo)05 May 15836429.93,5941,335,2950.292
Kalimantan Gold Corp ♥Raynard von Hahn05 May 15123,0001.531,885160,9940.041
KBC Advanced Technologies ♥Oliver Scott30 Apr 15120,00095.417114,50010,767,55013.125
Keywords Studios David Reeves30 Apr 156,250158.59,90622,5100.048
Kirkland Lake Gold IncDawn Whittaker06 May 15600357.352,1445,6200.007
Lancashire Holdings LtdSimon Fraser05 May 151,000624.646,2461,0000.001
Marechale Capital ΩPatrick Booth-Clibborn (ce)05 May 151,487,461114,8757,846,93013.604
Matomy Media  LtdIlan Shiloah (ch)30 Apr 155,5441407,76213,868,39515.002
Nektan *David Sparks (cfo)01 May 1514,925167.524,99925,5190.113
Nektan *David Gosen (ce)01 May 1514,925167.524,99914,9250.066
Next Fifteen Communications  Richard Eyre (ch)30 Apr 1511,18617719,799167,5170.256
Norsk Hydro ASABilly Fredagsvik01 May 155362,33512,5163,698<0.001
Norsk Hydro ASAOve Ellefsen01 May 155362,33512,5168,083<0.001
Norsk Hydro ASASten Roar Martinsen01 May 155362,33512,5164,754<0.001
Real Good Food Peter Salter30 Apr 1550,00042.2521,125181,0000.260
Real Good Food ♥Christopher Thomas01 May 1550,0004221,000290,3630.417
Shanta Gold LtdRobin Fryer30 Apr 15120,0007.89,360480,0000.103
Smiths  William Seeger Jr05 May 152,5001,163.7129,0935,0000.001
Sopheon Barry Mence (ch)06 May 15106,77568.4273,0521,272,88117.487
Sopheon Stuart Silcock06 May 1533,36768.4222,828223,9633.077
Sopheon Dr. Bernard Al06 May 1510,01168.426,84983,9891.154
Sphere Medical Holding *Meinhard Schmidt01 May 15187,5001630,000187,5000.132
Sphere Medical Holding *Dr Wolfgang Rencken (ce)01 May 15218,7501635,000449,4700.388
Sphere Medical Holding *Dr. Anthony Martin (ch)01 May 15187,5001630,000417,5540.295
Sphere Medical Holding *Dr. David Martyr01 May 15125,0001620,000125,0000.088
Sphere Medical Holding *John Gregory01 May 1546,875167,50090,7450.064
Sphere Medical Holding *Stephen Mahle01 May 1593,7501615,000152,8880.108
Summit Germany LtdHarry Hyman (ch)30 Apr 1525,00090.622,650125,0000.027
Vernalis Nigel Sheail05 May 1584,00059.950,316294,0000.066
Xaar Dr Doug Edwards (ce)01 May 159,29243940,7929,2920.012

Sells
CompanyDirectorDateNo of sharesPrice (p)Value (£)Holding (shares)Holding (%)
Close Brothers  Preben Prebensen (ce)06 May 1544,0391,524671,154700,0090.468
M P Evans  JD Shaw01 May 1510,00041241,200384,0650.694
Mwana Africa Ning Yat Hoi30 Apr 15106,254,7171.81,912,585454,5450.033
Royal Dutch Shell Simon Henry (cfo)05 May 1520,0002,117423,400273,4650.011
Whitbread Andy Harrison (ce)06 May 15132,0005,227.766,900,642122,1870.067
*Placing/tender/open offer ♥Spouse/connected party ΩIsa/Sipp/trust