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Destination Maternity Corporation

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FY2019 Annual Report · Destination Maternity Corporation
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9

Preventing 
life‑threatening 
infections

Annual Report and 
Financial Statements 2019

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
About us
Destiny Pharma plc

We are a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the 
development of novel medicines that represent a new approach 
to the prevention and treatment of infectious disease. 

The company is targeting large global markets by developing 
cost‑effective products tailored to the requirements of health 
practitioners and patients. These medicines are being developed 
to address the need for new drugs for the prevention and treatment 
of life‑threatening infections caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria, 
often referred to as superbugs.

The need for new anti‑infective drugs has also been highlighted 
by the large number of serious bacterial infections being treated 
in patients suffering from the COVID‑19 viral infection. 

In this report

Strategic report 
1 – 24

Highlights  

Chairman’s statement  

Impact of coronavirus pandemic 
on company operations  

Global AMR crisis is key focus  
for governments 

Global government initiatives 

Business model  

Stakeholder engagement 

Business model in action 

CEO’s operational and 
strategic review 

Investment proposition  

Financial review  

Risks and uncertainties  

1

2

3

4

6

8

9

10

 12

21

22

23

Governance 
25 – 34

Introduction to  
corporate governance  

Board of Directors  

Directors’ remuneration report  

Directors’ report  

Financial statements 
35 – 51

Statement of Directors’ 
responsibilities  

Independent auditor’s report 

Statement of  
comprehensive income  

Statement of financial position 

Statement of changes in equity  

Statement of cash flows 

26

30

32

34

35

36 

38

39

40

41

Notes to the financial statements   42 

Glossary  

Corporate information  

52

IBC

Highlights
Destiny Pharma plans to deliver key clinical data in 2020

We are dedicated to the discovery, development and 
commercialisation of new anti-infectives that improve outcomes 
for patients and provide more cost-effective medical care.

Lead programme 
XF‑73 Phase 2b clinical 
programme in 200 
patients started in 
Q2 2019. Results 
expected 2020 subject 
to COVID‑19

£7.5 million in cash at 
end of 2019

Destiny Pharma funded 
through to Q4 2021

Second positive Phase 1 
trial data from XF‑73 
skin irritation study. 
Primary objective 
achieved by both XF‑73 
concentrations

Positive results 
published on XF‑73 
nasal gel from an 
independent (US 
National Institute of 
Health) XF‑73 Phase 1 
clinical trial

New dermal infection 
XF formulations 
identified through 
Medpharm 
collaboration

UK‑China government 
AMR non‑dilutive 
funding of up to 
£1.6 million awarded

Awarded grant to 
fund a research 
collaboration with the 
University of Sheffield 
targeting ophthalmic 
bacterial and fungal 
infections

New initiatives from US 
and UK governments to 
provide financial 
incentives and support 
to anti‑infective drugs

Board strengthened 
with appointment of 
Nick Rodgers as 
Chairman in 
January 2019 and 
Debra Barker MD as 
NED in December 2019

1

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Chairman’s statement

We have made good progress 
in developing our pipeline in 2019 
and have an exciting year ahead.

Nick Rodgers
Chairman

In the past twelve months we have 
strengthened the Destiny team, 
particularly in clinical trial management 
and also at Board level with the 
appointment of Dr Debra Barker, 
an experienced drug development 
clinician, as a Non-executive Director.

Strategy
Under the leadership of our CEO, 
Neil Clark, the company has evolved 
out of its development stage into a 
commercially focused business. 
Our strategy is to become a world 
leader in developing life-saving 
medicines designed for the prevention 
and treatment of serious infections 
where we believe there are significant 
opportunities. This means considering 
products and developments to expand 
our portfolio outside the XF platform, 
as well as the development of other XF 
products such as the XF-73 dermal 
product, which is heading 
towards Phase 2.

Our collaboration with China Medical 
Systems provides us access to the 
very significant Chinese market, 
one which, following their experience 
of COVID-19, is, in my view, likely to 
become increasingly valuable to 
Destiny over the next few years.

Very importantly, due to careful 
stewardship, Destiny Pharma is 
funded to Q4 2021, which allows us 
to complete the important Phase 2b 
clinical development of our lead asset 
XF-73 and work on partnering that 
product to enable the Phase 3 
clinical trial.

Pipeline
Earlier projects in our pipeline have 
also progressed well in 2019 and the 
potential of the XF platform has been 
validated further by the award of a 
grant to support a new collaboration 
with Sheffield University. That adds to 
the ongoing work with expert UK 
groups at Aston and Southampton 
Universities and also the joint 
collaboration with Cardiff and Tianjin 
Universities under the UK-China 
Antimicrobial Resistance (“AMR”) 
grant funded initiative. The COVID-19 
pandemic is also creating new 
opportunities for the XF platform and 
we are actively reviewing these with 
collaborators.

The Board of Destiny Pharma would 
like to thank our investors for their 
continuing support. I would also like 
to thank our employees, advisers and 
collaborators for their ongoing efforts 
to ensure that Destiny Pharma makes 
progress. We are looking forward to 
2020 and are confident in the outlook 
for Destiny Pharma plc. 

Nick Rodgers
Chairman

28 April 2020

Our longer-term strategy 
is to build Destiny Pharma 
into a world leader in 
developing life-saving 
medicines to prevent and 
treat serious infections.

Overview
We have made good progress in 2019 
and I am delighted we are now well 
underway with our important Phase 2b 
clinical trial. We are working hard to 
complete the study in 2020 despite the 
impact on clinical activities at hospitals 
caused by the current pandemic crisis 
and move forward to planning and 
partnering the Phase 3 programme. 
We remain convinced that there is 
a clinical need and a billion-dollar 
commercial opportunity for our 
XF-73 nasal gel formulation as a 
novel treatment for the prevention of 
post-surgical staphylococcal infections. 

The crisis caused by COVID-19 is a 
very unfortunate example of what can 
happen when pandemics occur and is 
a timely reminder of the need for 
effective anti-infective products such 
as XF-73.

The Board is in regular communication 
to monitor and react to the serious 
COVID-19 pandemic.

2

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Impact of coronavirus pandemic 
on company operations

Destiny Pharma is complying with 
international governmental advice 
and requirements across its 
operations to prioritise safety, 
with all employees able to continue 
working effectively from home with 
minimal disruption to the company’s 
day-to-day operations.

Due to the unprecedented impact 
of the COVID-19 pandemic, including 
government measures to contain the 
spread of the disease and increased 
pressure on hospital facilities across 
the globe, recruitment for the 
company’s Phase 2b clinical trial 
with XF-73 for the prevention of 
post-surgical infections has 
effectively been paused in April 
2020 due to the decrease in hospital 
site activity. The study has recruited 
68 patients to date. The company 
will resume the study as soon as 
possible and will provide further 
guidance regarding the revised 
timing of completion of the study 
in due course. 

Patients already treated in the study 
will receive follow-up consultations 
on a remote basis in order to ensure 
patient safety. The quality of the 
clinical study has not been 
compromised by this delay, 
and Destiny Pharma anticipates 
an efficient restart of recruitment 
as soon as possible. It is still planned 
to complete the study by the end of 
2020 but this cannot be certain until 
the pandemic eases and patient 
recruitment starts up again.

Destiny Pharma had net cash of 
£7.5 million at 31 December 2019. 
The company is managing its cash 
resources and working capital 
commitments to stretch its cash 
runway through to Q4 2021 and 
to cope with the impact of the 
pandemic. The key spending 
commitment is the completion of 
the key Phase 2b study with its lead 
candidate XF-73.

The COVID-19 viral pandemic has 
affected millions of people across 
the globe and unfortunately many 
thousands have already died and 
a larger number have had serious 
respiratory infections that have 
needed hospital treatment. 

It is well established that many 
of these patients also had serious 
bacterial infections that were made 
worse by the COVID-19 viral 
infection. The inability to treat these 
bacterial infections has no doubt led 
to increased suffering and death 
rates. It has highlighted yet again 
the need for new anti-infective 
drugs that can be targeted at such 
bacterial infections. Destiny Pharma 
and other companies in its peer 
group researching and developing 
these much-needed new drugs 
believe strongly that there will now 
be increased support for developing 
new drugs that are safe, fast and 
cost effective and address the global 
challenge of antimicrobial resistance. 

3

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Global AMR crisis is key focus for governments
The need for new anti-infective drugs – there have been no new 
mechanisms for 40 years

Destiny Pharma is focused on the development of novel medicines 
that represent a new approach to the prevention and treatment of 
life-threatening infections caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria often 
referred to as superbugs.

WHO lists antibiotic 
resistance as a top 
global concern

UK and US 
governments started 
new initiatives in 2019 
to support drug 
development 
addressing AMR

COVID-19 pandemic has 
highlighted need for 
new anti-infectives. 
Half of reported deaths 
from the virus also have 
bacterial infections

Antibiotic resistant bacteria pose 
a threat to public health and are of 
serious concern to the World Health 
Organization (“WHO”). There is now 
a global imperative to put in place 
initiatives at all levels of society 
(including stewardship, new drug 
R&D, and diagnostics in both human 
and animal health) to address 
antibiotic resistant bacteria in a 
concerted effort to counter the 
prediction of ten million deaths 
(and an estimated $100 trillion 
cost by 2050). The US, EU and UK 
governments continue to provide 
non-dilutive funding support and 
regulatory initiatives to support the 
development of novel anti-infectives, 
especially those addressing key 
pathogens and AMR. This need has 
also been highlighted clearly by the 
ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the 
associated bacterial infections.

In 2019, the UK government 
confirmed its commitment to 
continuing support and initiatives to 
address AMR as part of its 2019-2024 
Vision and five-year action plan. 
This included a commitment for the 
National Institute for Clinical 
Excellence (“NICE”) and NHS 
England to deliver a new pricing 
and reimbursement model for novel 
anti-bacterial drugs. In 2018 the FDA 
Commissioner, Scott Gottlieb MD, 
announced the US regulator’s support 
of new incentives for companies 
developing novel anti-infectives 
through both financial reimbursement 
and further streamlined clinical 
trial requirements. 

The US Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention confirm that each year 
in the US at least two million people 
become infected with bacteria that 
are resistant to antibiotics and at least 
23,000 die each year as a direct result 
of such infections.

Bacteria have been shown to evolve 
to resist the new drugs that modern 
medicine uses to combat them. 
Indeed, this was the case with 
penicillin, one of the first antibiotics 
developed, almost 100 years ago. 
However, in recent years, the rise in 
AMR has been a concern, especially 
with the emergence of many different 
types of superbug.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus 
aureus (“MRSA”) is one of the most 
prominent superbugs and a major 
cause of hospital-associated infection 
and featured in the WHO’s “most 
dangerous” list of superbugs. 
The WHO followed US and European 
guidelines by recommending the 
screening and decolonisation of 
MRSA and all strains of 
Staphylococcus aureus in pre-surgical 
patients undergoing high-risk 
surgeries in a step designed to help 
prevent such infections. This is the 
focus for Destiny Pharma’s lead 
XF-73 medicine.

Tackling AMR is now recognised as a 
high priority at a national and global 
level. With an increasing number of 
hospital-based medical procedures 
being carried out across the world, 
there is a specific need for improved 
patient care regarding hospital 
infections. If successful, this should 
deliver both better outcomes for 
patients and a reduction in the 
increasing costs of post-operative 
care incurred by hospitals, 
governments and insurance 
companies.

Steps are already being taken in this 
direction, particularly in the US, with 
the Generating Antibiotics Incentives 
Now (“GAIN”) Act and the 21st 
Century Cures Act. 

4

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Destiny Pharma participates 
in groups that are discussing the 
problem and developing solutions.

•  Dr William Love was appointed 
by the UK Chief Medical Officer 
for the Department of Health, 
to the Expert Advisory Board 
of the Global Antimicrobial 
Resistance Innovation Fund 
in November 2016.

•  The company is also a founder 
member of the BEAM Alliance, 
set up in 2015 and representing 
and promoting the interests of 
more than 40 European biotech 
companies in the area of 
anti‑bacterial drug development.

Both propose incentives to spur 
development of new drugs, including 
a more streamlined regulatory path, 
to tackle AMR. Furthermore, the 
Hospital-Acquired Condition 
Reduction Program financially 
penalises the poorest performing US 
hospitals in terms of MRSA infection 
rates. In August 2019, the US 
government announced further 
support through healthcare reform 
for novel anti-bacterial drug payments 
which include an alternative pathway 
for New Technology Add-On 
Payments (“NTAPs”) which increases 
the value of these payments to 75% 
for Qualified Infectious Disease 
Products (“QIDPs”). Destiny Pharma’s 
lead medicine XF-73 nasal gel, as it 
has QIDP status, should benefit from 
such reimbursement reforms.

The drive to tackle AMR is receiving 
global interest and priority with new 
specific sources of ‘pull’ and ‘push’ 
incentives, including funding from 

Innovate UK, the US Department of 
Defense, IMI, Carb-X, GAMRIF and 
potential pricing and reimbursement 
adjustments or market entry rewards 
to recognise the societal value that 
anti-bacterial drugs contribute. 
Destiny Pharma has a strong track 
record in attracting non-dilutive 
funding from such sources, with 
approximately £2 million awarded to 
date, and will continue to seek similar 
non-dilutive funding to assist in 
financing its pipeline.

Importantly, a key aim in the overall 
management of infection is the 
increased focus on ‘Prevention’ 
– if infection does not take hold then 
you reduce the need for treatment 
by antibiotics and the creation of 
resistance. Destiny Pharma’s 
prophylactic approach in its lead 
programme for nasal decolonisation 
of Staphylococcus aureus fits 
perfectly with this aim.

If not tackled,  
rising AMR could have 
a devastating impact

Resistant infections lead to 
higher death rates and are 
more expensive to treat

00:03

By 2050, the death toll could be a 
staggering one person every three 
seconds if AMR is not tackled now.(1)

Mortality 
rate

24%

$35,000
to treat 
drug-resistant
infection
(MRSA)

Mortality 
rate
11.5%

$16,000
to treat 
drug-sensitive
infection
(MSSA)

A study in the US found that 
infections caused by the superbug 
methicillin-resistant 
Staphylococcus aureus (“MRSA”) 
were more than twice as expensive 
to treat as infections caused by the 
easier-to-treat methicillin-sensitive 
Staphylococcus aureus (“MSSA”).(2)

(1)  The Review on Antimicrobial Resistance: Tackling drug-resistant infections globally: final report and recommendations, May 2016.

(2)  Filice GA, Nyman JA, Lexau C et al., Excess costs and utilization associated with methicillin resistance for patients with 

Staphylococcus aureus infection, Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 2010, 31 (4).

5

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Global government initiatives 
Supporting novel anti-infective development – 
new UK and US initiatives in 2019 and 2020

Infections caused by antibiotic resistant strains 
of bacteria continue to rise at an alarming rate 
and are of serious concern to the WHO.

Key initiatives in recent years are set out below:

Independent Review on 
Antimicrobial Resistance, 2016

Predicts ten million deaths and 
$100 trillion cost of AMR globally 
by 2050 if not addressed.

Recommends global fund to drive 
R&D and billion-dollar market entry 
rewards for new drugs.

United Nations, 2016

The UN recognises the threat from 
AMR and the UN General Assembly 
has, for only the fourth time in its 
history, published a directive on a 
healthcare issue requesting the UN, 
WHO, FAO, OIE and OECD to 
report on actions to address this 
global threat in 2018. 

UK long‑term AMR plans 
updated, 2019

The UK government announced its 
20-year vision and second five-year 
action plan on AMR which outlines 
how the government will contribute 
to the global effort against AMR 
through optimising use of 
antimicrobials and investing in 
innovation, supply and access.

Under the AMR Action Plan, the UK government undertakes to:

•  work with international partners to agree a co-ordinated global system 
for incentivising new therapeutics. Establish collaboratives that link UK 
researchers and industry to make best use of data, information and skills;

•  support successful and emerging product development partnerships for 

priority therapeutics;

• 

invest in research in academia and businesses, including SMEs, 
through UKRI and other funding agencies; and

•  continue to support the AMR Benchmark to stimulate improved 

accountability and positive competition in industry.

As part of this plan, the UK has announced in 2020 that it will be the first 
government to publish clear financial incentives for two new anti-infective 
drugs. These incentives are expected to consist of clear annual purchasing 
commitments that will provide more certainty on revenue streams for the 
chosen drug marketing companies.

“Preventing infections is essential 
and our new plan has a strong 
focus on infection prevention 
and control.”

HM Government

Tackling AMR 2019-2024  
UK Action Plan

6

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 201921st Century Cures Act, 2016 (US)

Instructs the FDA to enable 
approval of QIDPs in limited patient 
populations which will allow a more 
efficient clinical trial design and 
greater ease of drug approval for 
a limited label population.

G20 Declaration, 2017

Recognised the importance of 
reactivating the R&D pipeline 
through incentive mechanisms 
that avoid the reliance on high 
price/volume combinations and 
the need to promote prudent and 
responsible use of antimicrobials. 

Davos announcement, 2018

$1 billion rewards proposed at 
Davos 2018 for new antibiotics: 
the study, titled “Revitalizing the 
Antibiotic Pipeline: Stimulating 
Innovation while Driving 
Sustainable Use and Global 
Access”, was produced by an 
international group made up of big 
pharma, academic institutions and 
public health organisations. 
The measures laid out included 
an increase of $300 million, 
or approximately 50%, 
in government grant funding.

US hospital reimbursement for 
novel anti‑infectives improved

In August 2019, the US government 
announced further support 
through healthcare reform for 
novel anti-bacterial drug payments 
which include an alternative 
pathway for New Technology 
Add-On Payments (NTAPs) 
which increases the value of 
these payments to 75% for 
Qualified Infectious Disease 
Products (“QIDPs”). The changes 
announced will reduce barriers 
to antibiotic innovation while 
increasing predictability and 
payment for novel drugs. 

7

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Business model
Building shareholder value through drug development

Using a flexible, virtual model to create 
novel IP and clinical data packages.

Focus

Destiny Pharma is committed to 
developing new drugs that will be a 
significant improvement on current 
anti-infectives and that will be part 
of the global project to address 
AMR. Destiny Pharma does not 
intend to build a sales and marketing 
infrastructure so will keep its focus 
as a “drug development engine” 
in its chosen therapeutic areas. 
Destiny Pharma has already proven 
it can develop intellectual property, 
identify lead candidates and bring 
selected compounds through early 
testing to be ready for later stage 
clinical trials.

Research
projects

Investors

XF drug
platform

Funding

Clinical  
programmes

Partners/
collaborators

Grants and
non-dilutive
funding

Collaborations

Commercialisation

Funding

Destiny Pharma has exclusive 
ownership of the XF platform but is 
committed to reach out and work 
with sector specialists at all stages 
of the drug research and clinical 
development process where such 
collaborations will advance projects 
and deliver shareholder value. 
These currently include grant funded 
university research partnerships, 
formulation development and 
projects examining XF drugs’ 
interaction with other anti-infectives 
or potentiation mechanisms. Destiny 
Pharma is well connected with 
expert groups across the world 
and will continue to explore 
such opportunities.

Whilst Destiny Pharma takes great 
care to assess the needs of the 
clinician in the anti-infectives sector, 
it also investigates the commercial 
markets, looking at potential market 
volumes and pricing implications. 
The reports produced guide the 
portfolio review and the selection 
of target indications. Destiny Pharma 
is looking to partner later stage 
Phase 3 projects with expert sales 
and marketing pharma or specialty 
pharma companies who can support 
the later stage clinical trials and 
carry out product launches and 
sales to maximise value creation. 
These may be territory rather than 
multi-market/global deals. Destiny 
Pharma has already completed one 
major regional collaboration with 
China Medical Systems.

Destiny Pharma has a track record 
of raising funds in both private and 
public markets. The company also 
seeks to leverage equity funding 
with non-dilutive funding. 
Four grants and other non-dilutive 
funding awards totalling almost 
£2 million have been won since 
the IPO in September 2017. 
Destiny Pharma is funded through 
to Q4 2021 and will continue to 
seek non-dilutive funding and 
partnerships that may generate 
cash income and/or bring funding 
support to collaborative projects. 
If additional projects are defined 
that need additional funds, 
then Destiny Pharma can also 
consider using its listed status 
to attract funding support.

8

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Stakeholder engagement
Section 172(1) statement

Directors of a company must act in a way that they 
consider, in good faith, would most likely promote the 
success of the company for the benefit of its members 
as a whole, taking into account the factors listed in section 
172 of the Companies Act 2006. 

Engagement with our shareholders and wider stakeholder 
groups plays an essential role throughout Destiny 
Pharma’s business. We are aware that each stakeholder 
group requires a tailored engagement approach in order 
to foster effective and mutually beneficial relationships. 
Our understanding of stakeholders is then factored into 
boardroom discussions, regarding the potential long-term 
impacts of our strategic decisions on each group, and how 
we might best address their needs and concerns. 

The Board regularly reviews our principal stakeholders 
and how we engage with them. The stakeholder voice is 
brought into the boardroom throughout the annual cycle 
through information provided by management and also 
by direct engagement with stakeholders themselves. 
The relevance of each stakeholder group may increase 
or decrease depending on the matter or issue in question, 
so the Board seeks to consider the needs and priorities of 
each stakeholder group during its discussions and as part 
of its decision making.

The table below acts as our section 172(1) statement by 
setting out the key stakeholder groups, their interests 
and how Destiny Pharma has engaged with them over 
the reporting period. This should be read in conjunction 
with the corporate governance report on pages 26 to 34. 

9

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019• Compliance with regulations • Worker pay and conditions • Gender pay • Health and safety• Treatment of suppliers • Waste and environment • Insurance• Comprehensive review of financial performance of the business • Business sustainability • High standard of governance • Success of the business • Ethical behaviour• Awareness of long-term strategy and direction • Training, development and career prospects • Health and safety• Working conditions • Diversity and inclusion• Human rights and modern slavery • Fair pay, employee benefits • Workers’ rights • Supplier engagement and management to prevent modern slavery• Fair trading and payment terms • Sustainability and environmental impact • Collaboration• Long-term partnerships StakeholderTheir interestsHow we engageOur employees• Sustainability• Human rights• Energy usage• Recycling • Waste management • Community outreach and CSROur suppliers and partnersOur investorsRegulatory bodiesCommunity and environment• Regular reports and analysis on investors and shareholders • Annual Report • Company website • Shareholder circulars • AGM • Stock exchange announcements • Press releases • Analyst research• One-to-one meetings • Open and regular informal dialogue • Ongoing training and development opportunities • Whistleblowing procedures• Employee benefits packages• Formal annual reviews• Board‑level engagement on company strategy • Oversight of corporate responsibility plans • Workplace recycling policies and processes • Company website • Stock exchange announcements• Annual Report • Direct contact with regulators • Compliance updates at Board meetings• Risk reviews • Initial meetings and negotiations• Performance management and feedback • Board approval of significant contracts • Direct engagement between suppliers and specified company contact Business model in action
A China partnership and four grant funded collaborations underway

Regional development and 
commercialisation agreement finalised 
with China Medical System Holdings 
Limited (“CMS”).

Highlights of CMS deal
•  Strategic partnership grants CMS full rights to 

Destiny Pharma’s pipeline of drug candidates in 
China and certain other Asian countries 
(excluding Japan).

This collaboration was signed in December 2017. 
The parties hold regular meetings and have commenced 
early stage projects that are being progressed under 
the agreement, including the co-ordination of the 
significant UK-China AMR grant project R&D. There is 
also discussion of clinical development plans for Destiny 
Pharma’s lead programmes where CMS takes the lead in 
discussions with the Chinese regulatory authorities on 
XF-73 nasal product clinical development pathways 
in China. Destiny Pharma views China as a very 
important market for its anti-infective products 
and is pleased to have CMS as an active partner. 

•  CMS will carry out all research and development 
required, in their territories, and both parties will 
share data and co-ordinate development plans.

•  CMS will be responsible for the commercialisation 

of the drug candidates in their territories.

•  Destiny Pharma will make a manufacturing margin 
on any product the company supplies and will also 
receive a commercial milestone payment subject to 
the applicable sales milestones being met by CMS.

Programme will research novel 
antimicrobial candidates from the 
company’s XF drug platform for use 
against dermal and ocular infections.

Destiny Pharma was awarded funding of up to 
£1.6 million from a collaboration established under the 
UK-China AMR grant fund, set up by Innovate UK and 
the Department of Health and Social Care with the 
Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology. 
The two-year project is examining the use of 
the company’s novel XF drugs to prevent, 
control and eradicate life-threatening bacteria 
or “superbugs” without generating resistance. 

The research work is being carried out by Destiny 
Pharma’s team in collaboration with expert groups 
at Cardiff University’s School of Dentistry and College 
of Biomedical and Life Sciences, led by Professor David 
Williams, and a team at Tianjin Medical University, China.

The new China-UK Industrial Research programme 
seeks to extend the knowledge base and activity profile 
of these novel drugs. 

This includes the study of multi-drug resistant (“MDR”), 
Gram-negative and positive, high priority bacterial 
pathogens in vitro, within biofilms and within in vivo 
bacterial infection models for dermal and ocular 
infections. It will also evaluate combining XF-drugs 
with existing antibiotics to synergise and/or restore 
their efficacy against priority antibiotic resistant bacteria.

10

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Collaboration with the University of 
Southampton to investigate XF drug 
platform activity against infections 
associated with biofilms.

Destiny Pharma was jointly awarded a National 
Biofilms Innovation Centre (“NBIC”) funded research 
collaboration with the University of Southampton. 
The project is intended to examine the use of the 
company’s novel XF compounds to prevent, control 
and eradicate chronic clinical infections with underlying 
biofilm involvement, such as those in diabetic foot 
ulcers and cystic fibrosis.

Destiny Pharma’s XF compounds have already shown 
the potential to eradicate bacteria, such as MRSA, 
within a biofilm. 

The NBIC funded collaboration plans to expand 
on this data using laboratory and clinical microbial 
biofilm models and the expertise of the team at the 
University of Southampton’s Faculty of Environmental 
and Life Sciences, who have established ex vivo biofilm 
model systems and access to clinical infection samples 
from cystic fibrosis sufferers that will be utilised in 
the collaboration. 

Biofilms are recognised as a key factor in the inability 
of antibiotics (and other anti-bacterial agents) to 
successfully treat infections. The formation of bacterial 
biofilms is implicated in the development of cystic 
fibrosis pneumonia, diabetic foot ulcers, dental caries 
and infections associated with indwelling medical 
devices, (eg hip implants and catheters). In the US, 
1.7 million biofilm-related infections, (eg urinary tract, 
surgical, respiratory and circulatory infections) are 
annually reported (US Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention Report, 2007). The annual estimation 
of the cost of biofilm infections in the US is $94 billion.

Sheffield University research 
collaboration targeting ocular infections.

This NBIC funded research programme will investigate 
novel antimicrobial candidates from the company’s XF 
drug platform for use against pathogenic bacteria and 
fungi in an ocular infection model to evaluate efficacy. 
This is the second grant jointly awarded to Destiny 
Pharma by the National Biofilms Innovation Centre and 
funds a research collaboration with the Sheffield Centre 
for Antimicrobial Resistance and Biofilms at the 
University of Sheffield. The project aims to establish the 
potential of two of the company’s proprietary XF drug 
compounds, DPD-207 and XF-73, as novel treatments 
for drug-resistant, bacterial and fungal infections in a 
dynamic ex vivo eye model. 

Research project with Aston 
University to investigate new 
XF platform drug candidates.

The research is intended to examine novel compounds 
from the company’s XF platform and assess their 
potential to prevent, control and eradicate dangerous 
bacteria and biofilms.

Serious infections are sometimes caused and 
exacerbated by biofilms where bacteria can hide 
and be protected from traditional anti-infective agents. 
XF compounds have already shown efficacy in biofilm 
models and this research project will explore that 
further and look at the mechanisms of action. 
The collaboration with Aston University will also 
look at other potential uses of the XF platform in the 
prevention and treatment of serious, drug-resistant 
infections. Aston University’s Department of Life and 
Health Sciences has established expertise in in vitro 
bacterial biofilm models that will be utilised in 
the collaboration. 

11

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019CEO’s operational and strategic review

Destiny Pharma’s strategic aim is to become 
one of the world’s leading developers of 
medicines that target the prevention and 
treatment of life-threatening infectious disease.

Neil Clark
Chief Executive Officer

Our lead asset, XF-73, is in Phase 2b 
trials and if the results are positive in 
2020 Destiny Pharma will have a novel 
drug candidate targeted at a 
significant market and ready for 
Phase 3 clinical trials. 

Destiny Pharma is clearly 
differentiated from traditional 
approaches of antibiotic development 
where commercialisation and the 
generation of investment returns has 
been difficult in recent years. The XF 
platform presents the opportunity to 
deliver “prevention rather than cure” 
at sensible pricing whilst delivering 
safe, effective anti-infective 
treatments that also address 
the issue of AMR. 

The company’s intellectual property 
is well established and is still being 
expanded. Currently, Destiny has 
95 granted and two pending patents 
within three patent families, covering 
composition of matter, novel 
mechanism of action and bacterial 
biofilm action. The company has 
plans to develop and commercialise 
its earlier pipeline supported where 
possible through grant funding 
and research collaborations.

Therefore, while Destiny Pharma’s 
strategy is to develop robust Phase 2 
clinical packages around its drug 
candidates that make them attractive 
to pharmaceutical companies to 
license, the company believes it can 
potentially continue to build value 
through conducting late stage clinical 
development itself, ensuring a 
licensing deal need only be struck at 
the right time and on optimal terms 
for its shareholders.

Additionally, while the market for the 
lead asset XF-73 is initially in the US, 
the need for such a new treatment is 
global and Destiny Pharma can enter 
into licensing agreements and 
collaborations for other territories 
in due course. We have already 
established an agreement with CMS 
to develop and commercialise the 
company’s assets in the China/Asia 
market and the company will also 
look to enter selected partnerships 
to develop its earlier stage assets. 
In addition, Destiny Pharma has 
successfully applied and closed four 
non-dilutive funding grants in the last 
twelve months to assist in the 
development of its pre-clinical 
portfolio. Destiny Pharma will 
continue to look at these alternative 
sources of funding to finance 
proposed and future pre-clinical 
and clinical projects. This includes 
grant funded projects related to 
COVID-19.

The Board believes that the increasing 
governmental pressure and financial 
incentives that are being implemented 
by leading institutions such as the 
WHO, UN, FDA and G7/G20 will 
further increase the options available 
for profitable commercialisation and 
the generation of shareholder value. 
The UK and US governments are 
taking the lead here in the last 
twelve months by introducing 
new regulations with clear financial 
incentives that may be available for 
novel anti-infectives such as those 
being developed by Destiny Pharma. 
The bacterial infections associated 
with COVID-19 will increase this 
support further.

Destiny Pharma is clearly 
differentiated from 
traditional approaches 
where commercialisation 
and investment returns 
have been limited.

We believe that XF-73, our lead drug 
candidate, has a target product profile 
that is very attractive to hospital 
infection experts. There are many 
millions of hospital operations in the 
US alone where a new drug is needed 
to help prevent infections. There have 
also been several independent papers 
published in 2019 from experts in the 
US, Europe and Asia that support the 
clinical need for XF-73 and the 
market potential of such a 
preventative approach.

The Board is committed to 
progressing the Destiny Pharma 
pipeline with the goal of delivering 
better drug treatments for patients 
and creating significant value for 
shareholders. The company will also 
continue to consider partnerships 
and licensing opportunities 
where appropriate.

Destiny Pharma plans to generate 
income and shareholder value from 
the clinical development and 
commercial exploitation of its 
proprietary, highly innovative 
anti-bacterial drug platform; the XF 
drug series. The XF drug platform is 
being developed to prevent and treat 
existing and emerging superbug 
infections within and outside 
of hospitals. 

12

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Our platform
The XF drug platform has a novel, patented, 
ultra-rapid mechanism that reduces the 
chance of bacteria becoming resistant to 
its action.

Destiny Pharma’s XF platform has advantages over traditional antibiotics

Antibiotic

XF drug

Ultra-rapid bacterial kill/elimination (within minutes) 

MRSA unable to become resistant to drug action

Potential for widespread use

Kills all antibiotic resistant Gram-positive bacteria tested

Kills any stage of bacterial growth – including bacterial biofilms

FDA, QIDP & Fast Track status

X

X

X

X

X

The key potential benefits are significant:

Ultra-rapid bacteria kill
Studies have shown the XF drugs 
killing bacteria in vitro in less than 15 
minutes; faster acting than standard 
antibiotics currently in use.

Ability to kill bacteria in any 
growth phase
This is an important feature as 
bacteria are not always actively 
growing. XF drugs can kill bacteria 
even when dormant.

Ability to kill bacteria 
within staphylococcal 
bacterial biofilms
Biofilms are an increasing problem 
that are poorly treated by current 
drugs as they act as a protective 
barrier for bacteria. They are 
associated with indwelling medical 
devices (for example, heart valves 
and joint replacements) and invasive 
medical devices (for example, 
catheters and endoscopes). 

Active against all Gram-positive 
bacteria tested to date and 
selected Gram-negative 
bacteria
This includes clinically important and 
infection-causing strains, such as:

•  Staphylococcus aureus; 

•  Listeria monocytogenes;

•  Propionibacterium acnes;

•  Group G Streptococcus;

•  Mycobacterium tuberculosis;

•  Streptococcus pneumonia;

•  Bacillus anthracis;

•  Yersinia pestis;

•  Acinetobacter baumannii;

•  Pseudomonas aeruginosa; and

•  Clostridium difficile.

All existing antibiotic resistant strains 
of Gram-positive bacteria tested to 
date are susceptible to XF drugs, 
including MRSA. 

No bacterial (MRSA) resistance 
is seen to emerge
No bacterial (MRSA) resistance was 
seen to emerge in a landmark in vitro 
study of bacterial resistance that 
compared XF-73 to standard 
antibiotics currently in use. 
The bacteria (MRSA) did not 
demonstrate any resistance to 
XF-73 even after 55 repeat exposures 
(being the longest repeat exposure 
study published as far as the 
company is aware). In contrast, 
MRSA rapidly developed significant 
resistance to a range of antibiotics 
tested. A second study using clinical 
bacterial samples from a clinical trial 
of XF-73 provided the first clinical 
data supporting the same 
“no resistance profile”.

13

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019CEO’s operational and strategic review continued

Our pipeline
Focused on markets restricted or blocked by antibiotic resistance.

Destiny Pharma’s XF drug pipeline 
includes several preventative and 
therapeutic projects at clinical and 
pre-clinical development stages 
utilising a portfolio of additional 
patent-protected XF assets that 
are available to enter in-house 
development and/or partnership 
collaborations.

Our lead asset, XF-73, is currently 
in a 200-patient Phase 2b trial that is 
completing in 2020. The company has 
already commenced the planning for 
a Phase 3 trial which, with the 
Phase 2b data, will allow it to secure 
commercial partnerships for the late 
stage clinical trials and 
commercialisation of the XF-73 
drug product post its approval. 
Earlier pipeline assets are also being 
developed into the clinic and the 
company is progressing its second 
clinical programme in 2020 as a novel 
dermal infection product by carrying 
out formulation work, additional 
toxicology studies and clarifying the 
proposed Phase 2 clinical 
development plan. The earlier grant 
funded research programmes are 
progressing well and the results 
from these projects will also help in 
finalising the dermal programme and 
potentially identify additional clinical 
candidates targeting new indications.

Clinical data 
underpinning 
the XF‑73 nasal 
programme is strong

XF-73 (exeporfinium chloride) has 
been awarded Qualifying Infectious 
Disease Product (“QIDP”) status by 
the FDA. Within the QIDP award, 
the FDA also confirmed a new US 
disease indication for XF-73; namely 
the “prevention of post-surgical 
staphylococcal infections”, including 
MRSA. This represents a new 
US market for which no existing 
product is approved. QIDP status 
identifies XF-73 as a drug that is 
intended to treat serious or 
life-threatening infections, including 
those caused by antibiotic resistant 
pathogens. The FDA also awarded 
XF-73 nasal Fast Track status in 2018, 
recognising it as a priority drug for 
US development.

Destiny Pharma has now completed 
seven successful Phase 1/2a clinical 
trials in over 270 subjects with XF-73, 
which included measures of its 
efficacy in reducing nasal colonisation 
by Staphylococcus aureus. 

The last such efficacy trial (as shown in 
the chart on page 15) was conducted 
in the US and was funded by the US 
government’s expert division on 
antimicrobial drugs, the National 
Institute for Allergy and Infectious 
Diseases (“NIAID”), who reported 
the successful outcome from this 
trial. This study indicates the potential 
clinical efficacy of XF-73 in reducing 
the nasal carriage of Staphylococcus 
aureus in the nose. Treatment with 
XF-73 was also associated with a rapid 
reduction in nasal Staphylococcus 
aureus in all subjects; nasal carriage 
of the bacteria is the source of the 
majority of post-surgical bacterial 
infections and the data was recently 
published by the US Principle 
Investigator in the Journal of 
Global Antimicrobial Resistance 
in October 2019. 

The publication demonstrated that 
application of the nasal gel 
formulation of XF-73 in healthy 
volunteers was safe, well tolerated 
and generated minimal side effects, 
and concluded “Treatment with 
XF-73 was associated with a rapid 
diminution in the Staphylococcus 
aureus scores in all subjects”. Nasal 
carriage of Staphylococcus aureus, 
including MRSA, is the source of most 
post-surgical bacterial infections.

XF drug product pipeline: Targeting unmet clinical needs. Working with expert collaborators.

Discovery

Pre-clinical

Phase 1

Phase 2

XF-73
Nasal

XF-73
Dermal

XF-70
Respiratory

DPD-207
Ocular

XF Drugs
Biofilm

14

Prevention of post-surgical staphylococcal infection (US QIDP & Fast Track status) 

Treatment of skin infections of antibiotic resistant bacteria – diabetic foot ulcers/burns wounds

Ventilator Associated Pneumonia/cystic fibrosis/bronchiectasis

Eye infections caused by bacteria and fungi

Treatment of antibiotic resistant biofilm and bacterial aggregate associated infections

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 20192016 Phase 1 data: Staphylococcus aureus load after 0, 1 and 5 days’ dosing

3.1

)
x
o
r
p
p
a
g
o

l
(
e
r
o
c
S
Q
S
n
a
e
M

2.3

1.7

3.0

SQ = 1 line

Below the line 
subject is “clear”

Day 0

Day 1

Day 6

Day 0

Day 1

0.5
Day 6

Placebo nasal gel

2mg/g XF-73 nasal gel

0.8

Estimated hospital
Staphylococcus aureus 
assay detection threshold

This Phase 2b trial is currently enrolling 
200 patients in around 20 sites in the 
US, Serbia and Georgia and is 
completing in 2020 subject to the 
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic 
on hospital site recruitment. Destiny 
Pharma’s experience in carrying out 
this clinical study has confirmed the 
increasing compliance in US hospitals 
with best practice, whereby patients 
are screened, and carriers of 
Staphylococcus aureus are 
decolonised prior to surgery. This is 
very supportive of the potential sales 
in the initial market for XF-73 nasal gel 
in the large US hospital 
surgery market.

Under the IND opened in 
February 2018, the company 
completed the required additional 
Phase 1 dermal safety studies in the 
US and the results demonstrated a 
very good “non-irritant” classification 
for the XF-73 nasal gel and XF-73 in 
water solution in standard safety 
studies examining the drug’s 
potential to cause irritation 
when administered dermally. 

The investigators did not report 
any XF-73 adverse events during the 
study and no XF-73 was detected in 
blood samples taken, confirming 
earlier dermal and nasal clinical trials 
which also demonstrated no XF-73 
appeared in the bloodstream, and 
reinforcing its excellent safety profile.

The Phase 1 clinical trials have 
identified the following features that 
represent an attractive new product 
profile for XF-73 for both targeted 
nasal and dermal indications:

•  appropriate clinical safety profile;

•  non-irritant;

•  well tolerated at multiple doses;

•  no drug exposure in the 

bloodstream;

•  rapid, anti-staphylococcal action in 

the nose; and

•  anti-bacterial efficacy statistically 

demonstrated over placebo.

The Phase 2b design for the important 
next study of XF-73 for the prevention 
of post-surgical infections was 
finalised after exchanging information 
with the anti-infective review team at 
the FDA. 

The study is a multi-centre, 
randomised, placebo-controlled 
study of multiple applications of a 
single concentration of XF-73 nasal gel 
to assess the antimicrobial effect of 
XF-73 on commensal Staphylococcus 
aureus nasal carriage in patients 
scheduled for surgical procedures 
deemed to be at high risk of 
post-operative Staphylococcus 
aureus infection.

Treatment with XF-73 in a Phase 1 study was 
associated with a rapid reduction in nasal 
Staphylococcus aureus in all subjects; nasal 
carriage of the bacteria is the source of the 
majority of post-surgical bacterial infections.

Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance, Yendewa GA, Griffiss JM,  
Jacobs MR et al; J. Glob. Antimicrob. Resist. 2019 Oct 7

15

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019 
 
 
 
CEO’s operational and strategic review continued

XF-73 nasal gel can be priced competitively, has an 
excellent safety profile and addresses the key challenge 
of AMR. The target market represents a $1 billion sales 
potential opportunity.

The medical need to combat 
surgical infections is significant 
Patient carriage of Staphylococcus 
aureus strains, including MRSA, 
is recognised as a growing problem 
and the testing of patients entering 
hospital for surgery is widespread in 
many countries, including the US. 
Landmark outcome studies (Bode 
et al 2010) have demonstrated that 
reduction of all strains of 
Staphylococcus aureus can 
significantly reduce the 
post-surgical infection rate 
by 60% and reduce mortality.

In response to these and other 
findings, the US Surgical Infection 
Society (“SIS”), the Society for 
Hospital Epidemiologists of America 
(“SHEA”), the Infectious Disease 
Society of America (“IDSA”) and 
the American Society of Hospital 
Pharmacists (“ASHP”) published 
guidelines recommending that in 
the US all Staphylococcus aureus 
(including MRSA) should be 
decolonised in all cardiovascular 
and most orthopaedic surgeries.

AHRQ/IDSA/SHEA recommended 
an even more aggressive treatment 
strategy, universal decolonisation 
(“UD”) of all intensive care unit 
(“ICU”) patients without screening, 
awarding a Grade I (highest) level of 
evidence rating. US hospital groups, 
including the Hospital Corporation of 
America, are now implementing UD 
for all patients entering the ICU. 

In 2019, the Journal of the American 
Medical Association (“JAMA”) 
published updated guidelines that 
instruct US surgeons to perform topical 
intranasal decolonisation prior to 
surgery with the highest strength, 
IA recommendation. This publication 
advocates improving recovery after 
surgery and the recommendation was 
clear that topical therapy be applied 
universally to all cardiac surgical 
patients, not only Staphylococcus 
aureus carriers. This is clear support 
for the approach proposed by Destiny 
Pharma with XF-73 nasal gel.

“ It is highly recommended that US surgeons 
perform nasal decolonisation prior to surgery 
on all cardiac surgical patients. Rating 1A –  
the highest possible.” 

Guidelines for Perioperative Care in Cardiac Surgery: Enhanced Recovery  
After Surgery Society Recommendations – Daniel T. Engelman, MD;  
Walid Ben Ali, MD; Judson B. Williams, MD, MHS; et al 2019

16

In Europe, similar guidelines exist 
recommending decolonisation of 
Staphylococcus aureus positive 
patients prior to certain surgeries. 

The antibiotic, mupirocin, is often 
used off-label in the US for these 
applications, although it has two key 
disadvantages in that it is slow acting, 
requiring five days of dosing, 
and staphylococcal resistance to 
mupirocin can develop rapidly and 
become widespread. Consequently, 
many guidelines are accompanied 
with a resistance warning related to 
mupirocin use. In 2019 another new 
review concluded that global 
mupirocin resistant Staphylococcus 
aureus prevalence had increased to 
7.6% and that mupirocin resistant 
MRSAs have increased by 13.8% 
and consequently the monitoring 
of mupirocin use remains critical. 

Destiny Pharma believes this is clear 
support for the need for an alternative 
treatment for nasal decolonisation as 
presented by the XF-73 programme. 
(Ref. Mupirocin Resistance in 
Staphylococcus aureus: A Systematic 
Review and Meta-Analysis – Dadashi 
et al 2019)

In 2016, the WHO published its 
Global Guidelines for the Prevention 
of Surgical Site Infection, which now 
too recommend the screening and 
decolonisation of all Staphylococcus 
aureus strains pre-surgery in 
high-risk surgeries.

There are 41 million 
surgeries per year in 
the US, half of which 
are at a high risk 
of infection

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Percentage of 
Staphylococcus aureus  
infection caused  
by MRSA

US

Europe

China

Japan

Up to
60%

29%

Up to
60%

Up to
43%

72%

80%

32%

Latin America

Africa

Australia

The commercial opportunity for 
XF-73 is over a billion dollars
There is a significant market for a new 
drug that can assist in the “prevention 
of post-surgical staphylococcal 
infections”, particularly in the US. 
There are approximately 41 million 
surgeries per year in the US alone, 
all of which expose patients to the 
risk of post-surgical infections. 

Of these patients, Destiny Pharma 
estimates that 14 million are at a 
higher risk of infection as a result 
of the nature of their surgery and the 
environment in which they are treated. 

An additional market is the potential 
use of XF-73 within intensive care 
units (“ICUs”) which the company 
estimates could be at least 20 million 
patients per annum in the US alone.

The market analysis undertaken by 
Destiny Pharma and its specialist 
consultants supports the view that 
XF-73 could achieve annual peak sales 
in the US alone of over $1 billion and 
peak sales in Europe and the rest of 
the world could be $500 million for 
the initial indication of “prevention of 
post-surgical staphylococcal 
infections” alone.

The most recent independent review 
carried out in 2018 updated the 
company’s understanding of current 
US clinical practice, the competitor 
environment for the proposed XF-73 
nasal gel formulation, pricing 
sensitivities and the payers’ 
assessment of the target product 
profile (“TPP”) of XF-73.

The study conclusions were very 
encouraging and reported that the 
sample of US treaters (surgeons, 
infectious disease specialists and 
ICU specialists) and payers (hospital 
medical directors, pharmacy services 
directors, microbiologists and clinical 
directors) who were consulted 
confirmed that XF-73’s target product 
profile is superior when compared to 
existing treatments. This included 
off-label use of the antibiotic 
mupirocin, with the conclusion being 
that XF-73 has the potential to replace 
mupirocin as the preferred treatment. 
There was also strong support for a 
pricing strategy that could be at the 
higher end of previous assumptions. 

The research also shows that XF-73 
nasal will have the advantage of being 
included in the relevant surgical 
procedure reimbursement cost code 
and so will be a clear hospital product 
that will help with its marketing and 
take up on launch.

17

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019CEO’s operational and strategic review continued

The XF platform is delivering additional  
clinical and pre-clinical projects.

Destiny Pharma believes that there is 
significant demand for the XF-73 
product and has identified the 
following additional drivers 
for adoption:

•  current practice guidelines have 

identified patient populations that 
can benefit, while highlighting that 
antibiotic resistance is an issue with 
current products;

•  US general, acute-care and 

short-term hospitals with the 
highest MRSA infections will 
have 1% of their Medicare 
reimbursements withheld;

•  the UN General Assembly has 
called for new drugs to tackle 
antibiotic resistance;

•  US hospital administrators are keen 
to reduce infection to ensure high 
ratings in rankings tables;

•  XF-73, having QIDP approval, 

benefits from five years of extra 
US market exclusivity;

•  XF-73 could be the first drug 

approved into a new US indication 
with first-to-market advantages; 
and

•  XF-73 has both QIDP and Fast 

Track regulatory status in the US.

As XF-73 is differentiated from 
antibiotics due to its superior 
bacterial resistance profile, it is 
likely that its use can be widespread, 
preserving antibiotic use, and could 
potentially be used without the need 
for bacterial screening. In this respect, 
XF-73 can be viewed as a preventative 
pharmaceutical more akin to vaccines 
than antibiotics.

XF-73 has the opportunity to become 
the first drug approved in the US for 
the new indication “prevention of 
post-surgical staphylococcal 
infections” and could become the 
benchmark against which all future 
would-be competitors will be 
measured. This is a major advantage 
and will help drive the clinical 
programme and the commercialisation 
of XF-73 in the US. The company is 
also developing an easy-to-use 
single-use plastic tube nasal dispenser 
that would improve compliance, 
reduce wastage and enable accurate 
tracking of patient dosing that 
remains a key component of any 
drug regimen.

XF-73 for the treatment of 
antibiotic resistant Gram-positive 
and Gram-negative bacterial 
burn wound infections
The global topical anti-bacterial 
market has been estimated to be 
valued at approximately $6 billion.

The company has a strong Phase 1 
clinical, pre-clinical, in vitro and in 
vivo infection model data set which 
demonstrates the efficacy of topically 
applied XF drugs against 
Gram-positive and Gram-negative 
bacteria, including MRSA, 
Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 
Acinetobacter baumannii. In some 
cases, unformulated XF drugs have 
been shown to be as active as 
existing, marketed antibiotics.

Destiny Pharma is developing 
XF-73 as a new dermal drug for the 
prevention/treatment of infections 
associated with diabetic foot ulcers. 
The data that is being generated from 
this programme over the next twelve 
months could also support a wide 
range of indications, including 
impetigo, acne, atopic dermatitis, 
bacterial infected skin lacerations, 
candida skin/vaginal infection and 
treatment of serious bacterial burn 
wound infections.

18

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019“ Bacterial resistance to existing agents is a 
barrier to preventing post-operative infections.” 

US hospital infections expert, 2018 XF-73 market research report

A third grant awarded in 2019 
under the UK-China AMR fund is 
investigating the potential for XF 
drugs to treat dermal and ocular 
infections and involves expert groups 
at Cardiff and Tianjin Universities.

A fourth grant with Sheffield 
University was also a NBIC funded 
research collaboration and is focusing 
more on ocular bacterial and fungal 
infections.

Research programmes 
and biofilms 
Destiny Pharma has a US biofilm 
patent and both XF-73 and XF-70 
have shown the ability to act against 
Staphylococcus aureus and 
Staphylococcus epidermis 
within formed biofilms.

A biofilm is an extra-cellular matrix 
of exopolysaccharides, which bacteria 
form when in contact with a host 
tissue or indwelling medical device.

Biofilms are notoriously resistant 
to antibiotic therapy; they form an 
impenetrable barrier to antibiotics.

Slower growth rate of bacteria 
in biofilms is fundamental to 
antibiotic resistance.

Work on earlier pre-clinical 
programmes targeting respiratory 
and ocular infections and biofilms 
carries on as research projects, 
including academic and/or 
commercial collaborations 
and grant funded programmes. 
Destiny Pharma has been awarded 
around £2 million in such grant 
funding over the last two years. 

In line with this strategy, Destiny 
Pharma is running a research 
collaboration agreement with 
Aston University to examine novel 
compounds from the XF platform 
and assess their potential to prevent, 
control and eradicate dangerous 
bacteria in biofilms. Serious infections 
are sometimes caused and 
exacerbated by biofilms where 
bacteria can hide and be protected 
from traditional anti-infective agents. 
XF compounds have already shown 
efficacy in biofilm models and this 
research project will explore the 
potential further, including looking 
at the mechanisms-of-action.

A second project with the University 
of Southampton is a National Biofilms 
Innovation Centre (“NBIC”) funded 
research collaboration. The project is 
examining the use of the company’s 
novel XF compounds to prevent, 
control and eradicate chronic clinical 
infections with underlying biofilm 
involvement, such as those in diabetic 
foot ulcers and cystic fibrosis.

Bacterial biofilms are implicated in 
chronic and recurring infections, and 
there is a growing understanding of 
their role and the value in developing 
treatments that can address this issue 
in tissue and medical device 
related infections. 

Destiny Pharma has generated 
preliminary data on the potential 
for XF drugs to enhance existing 
antibiotic activity by co-administration 
and plans to extend these studies 
through research collaborations to 
determine if important antibiotic life 
can be reinvigorated and bacterial 
resistance combated. The company 
is also looking at the evidence 
generated from patients suffering in 
the COVID-19 pandemic and how XF 
drugs could be targeted to help in the 
prevention and management of the 
associated serious bacterial infections.

19

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019CEO’s operational and strategic review continued

20% of diabetes patients experience DFU 
infections, leading to a target market of 
350,000 patients in the US alone.

https://www.ncvh.org/pdf/2015%20NCVH/5-27-Wed/Podiatry/1330_John%20
Labovitz_revised.pdf

Outlook
The company’s funds will provide 
Destiny Pharma with working capital 
through to Q4-2021, enabling it to 
complete the Phase 2b clinical trial 
of its lead drug asset XF-73 in 2020 
subject to the impact of the COVID-19 
pandemic on patient recruitment. 
A successful Phase 2b result will 
deliver a strong package for 
partnering and the further 
development into Phase 3, which is 
the final stage of clinical development. 
The funds are also being used to 
develop new clinical candidates 
from the pre-clinical XF pipeline 
and to capitalise on commercial 
opportunities including additional 
grant funding, partnering 
and licensing.

In the Board’s opinion, XF-73 has the 
potential to break the commercial 
paradigm which besets antibiotics. 
Its “no resistance” characteristic 
enables widespread use (unlike 
antibiotics where use is restricted 
due to the fear of AMR). As about 
one-third of the population carry 
the infection-causing bacteria 
Staphylococcus aureus 
asymptomatically, and XF-73 is 
designed to kill these bacteria in the 
patient ahead of surgery (preventing 
post-surgical infection), a large 
market exists. 

The potential of the XF-73 nasal 
gel has been recognised by the FDA 
through the QIDP status award which 
acknowledges the novelty in our 
approach and the need for improved 
treatments in hospitals.

Destiny Pharma believes that XF-73’s 
preventative disease indication is 
similar to a vaccine approach and 
could eventually lead to most patients 
being treated prior to surgery. 
There are several drivers for the 
adoption of this approach, including 
new guidelines and financial penalties 
for US hospitals with high MRSA 
infection rates. 

There is also wide support for 
approaches that adopt the strategy 
where “prevention is better than cure” 
in preventing the incidence of 
infections, especially in hospitals.

Earlier stage assets from the XF 
drug platform will be progressed 
in the areas of prevention and 
treatments for diabetic foot ulcers, 
staphylococcal pneumonia, serious 
bacterial burn wound infections and 
bacterial biofilm associated infections. 
Destiny Pharma will continue to 
establish discovery stage research 
programmes through existing and 
new collaborations and, where 
possible, seek additional non-dilutive 
funding support including projects 
related to the impact of COVID-19.

As noted earlier on page 3, there is 
uncertainty in predicting accurately 
when the Phase 2b clinical trial will 
restart. However, we are still hopeful 
that the company’s lead asset XF-73 
will be able to complete its Phase 2b 
clinical trial in 2020. The outlook 
for Destiny Pharma is strong and our 
team is committed to delivering our 
strategy and building value.

Neil Clark
Chief Executive Officer

28 April 2020

20

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Investment proposition
Targeted approach targeting billion-dollar global markets

The Directors believe Destiny Pharma has the following 
key strengths which underpin the company’s strategy.

Significant opportunities 
in existing and new 
indications – targeted 
at serious infections 

The resistance-breaking profile 
means that XF drug products 
have the potential for a long 
product lifetime. The company 
is developing sensibly priced 
medicines that will deliver clear 
clinical and financial benefits to 
healthcare providers, thereby 
maximising their sales potential.

New US disease 
indication in a very large 
preventative market 

The FDA’s award of QIDP and 
Fast Track status is confirmation 
of a new US indication for XF-73 
for the “prevention of 
post-surgical staphylococcal 
infections”. Updated market 
research has confirmed the 
clinical need and a $1 billion 
US peak sales opportunity. 

Expert partner in place 
for China/Asia markets

Lower risk, Phase 2b 
clinical stage lead asset

China Medical Systems 
collaboration signed in December 
2017 shows that the company can 
negotiate valuable commercial 
agreements. Other partnerships 
may be completed after the 
Phase 2b clinical trial results 
are available later in 2020.

Anti-infective drugs have a high 
probability of approval following 
a successful Phase 1 trial 
compared to many other drug 
classes. Lead asset XF-73 reports 
Phase 2b results in 2020 subject 
to delays due to COVID-19.

Novel patented 
technology

The XF drug platform represents 
a new range of antimicrobial drug 
products which kill bacteria 
rapidly via a novel mechanism 
of action against which bacteria 
appear to be unable to build 
resistance.

Experienced team 

The executive team responsible 
for the management of Destiny 
Pharma has extensive experience 
appropriate for an AIM-listed 
development phase 
biotechnology company. 
The Board was strengthened 
further on 1 January 2020 with the 
appointment of Dr Debra Barker 
as a Non-executive Director, who 
brings extensive experience as a 
medical director in large pharma 
and biotech companies 
specialising in anti-infectives. 

XF platform can deliver 
other clinical assets

Access to non‑dilutive 
funding

Funded to deliver 
strategy to Q4 2021

The XF-73 dermal project has 
progressed in 2019, formulation 
work is underway and grants are 
funding work on earlier research 
projects involving XF-70 and 
DPD-207 drug assets.

The company is also looking at 
XF projects related to respiratory 
infections caused by COVID-19.

Destiny Pharma has already 
benefited from the alternative 
sources of funding available for 
the development of new 
anti-infective drugs, as an earlier 
Phase 1 US clinical trial was 
funded by the US government 
(NIAID). Four grants have been 
received since our IPO in 
September 2017 from expert 
UK and UK-China funds.

Destiny Pharma can focus on 
delivering its key clinical targets 
in 2020. 

21

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Financial review

We efficiently managed our cash 
resources during 2019, ending the 
year with a strong balance sheet to 
support our key objectives in 2020. 

Shaun Claydon
Chief Financial Officer

We increased activity across our 
scientific and clinical programmes 
during 2019, particularly during the 
second half of the year. Our key focus 
was on progressing our lead 
programme through a Phase 2b clinical 
trial, which commenced during the 
year and which accounts for the 
majority of our R&D spend. We also 
continued to develop our earlier 
programmes in conjunction with our 
research partners and were pleased 
to announce our fourth collaboration, 
with Sheffield University, during 
the year. 

Revenue
Destiny Pharma is a clinical stage 
research and development company, 
and is yet to commercialise and 
generate sales from its current 
programmes. The company received 
grant income of £0.3 million during 
the period.

Administrative expenses
Administrative expenses, which 
exclude the share-based 
payment charge of £0.2 million 
(2018: £0.7 million) during the 
period, amounted to £5.7 million 
(2018: £5.3 million). Included within 
this total are R&D costs totalling 
£3.8 million (2018: £3.5 million) which 
reflect the increase in activity with 
regard to our scientific and clinical 
programmes, in particular our Phase 
2b clinical trial during the period. 

Other administrative costs marginally 
increased from £1.8 million to 
£1.9 million due to an increase in 
foreign exchange losses during the 
period, which were partly offset by a 
reduction in other operating costs. 

Taxation
The company’s research and 
development activities are eligible 
for the UK research and development 
small or medium-sized enterprise 
(“R&D tax credit”) scheme, which 
provides additional taxation relief 
for qualifying expenditure on R&D 
activities, with an option to surrender 
a portion of tax losses arising from 
qualifying activities in return for a 
cash payment from HM Revenue and 
Customs (“HMRC”). The company 
received a repayment of £0.8 million 
in respect of the R&D tax credit 
claimed in respect of the year ended 
31 December 2018, and the R&D tax 
credit receivable in the balance sheet 
of £0.8 million is an estimate of the 
cash repayment the company expects 
to qualify for in respect of activities 
during the year ended 31 December 
2019. However, as at the date of this 
report, these amounts have not yet 
been agreed with HMRC.

Loss per share
Basic and diluted loss per share 
for the year was 10.7 pence 
(2018: 11.9 pence).

Cash, cash equivalents 
and term deposits
The company’s cash, cash equivalents 
and term deposits at the year end 
totalled £7.5 million (2018: 
£12.1 million).

The net cash outflow from operating 
activities in 2019 was £4.6 million 
against an operating loss of 
£5.5 million, with the major 
reconciling items being the non-cash 
charge for share-based payments of 
£0.2 million, the R&D credit received 
of £0.8 million and other net 
movements in working capital of 
£(0.1) million.

Outlook
The Board believes the company 
remains well funded to execute on its 
business strategy and to progress its 
lead and follow-on programmes in 
2020 and 2021.

Shaun Claydon
Chief Financial Officer

28 April 2020

22

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Risks and uncertainties

Destiny Pharma’s business is subject to a number of risks and 
uncertainties in common with other biotechnology companies 
operating in the field of drug research and development.

The Board manages such risks by 
maintaining a risk register which 
identifies risks, prioritises them by 
likelihood and impact, and records the 
actions needed to mitigate and 
monitor those risks. 

The Board is also prepared to act 
swiftly to formulate contingency plans 
to manage the situation if any risk 
materialises. 

Key risks are monitored by senior 
management on an ongoing basis and 

the risk register is reviewed regularly 
at Board meetings.

The principal risks and uncertainties 
identified by Destiny Pharma in the 
year ended 31 December 2019 are set 
out below:

Risk category

Description

COMMERCIAL

OPERATIONAL

FINANCIAL

C

O

F

Commercial risks which may have an impact on the company’s ability to 
commercialise its products and deliver value to shareholders.

Operational risks which may impact on the company’s ability to deliver on 
its objectives.

Financial risks which may impact on the sustainability or liquidity of the 
company – affected by internal or external risks.

Principal risk

Category

Mitigation

Technical, clinical or regulatory milestones 
may not be delivered successfully, leading 
to delays, changes or the abandonment of 
development programmes. There may also be 
changes in the regulatory environment that can 
impact the approval of clinical trials and 
product filings.

Clinical studies may not give the expected 
results, leading to a requirement to run 
additional clinical trials (at additional, 
unexpected cost), or programmes being 
delayed or abandoned.

Inability to raise sufficient capital when needed 
may lead to delays, reduction or abandoning 
development programmes.

O

O

F

These are inherent risks in drug development. 
To mitigate the risks, the Scientific Advisory 
Board, expert consultants and management 
will regularly review project progress, industry 
guidelines and manage any issues. The company 
also works with expert regulatory consultants to 
monitor the latest regulations and planned 
changes to the regulatory environment. 

The company plans to develop a range of 
products to reduce reliance on its lead asset. 
Clinical trials are designed to ensure that 
meaningful and relevant data is produced. 
Trials are closely monitored to manage 
timelines and cash requirements.

The AIM flotation in September 2017 provides 
a good cash runway through to Q4 2021. 
The Board has put in place investor relations and 
partnering strategies that should support future 
cash requirements. The virtual business model 
maintains a low overhead base which allows 
some flexibility in managing spending 
commitments.

23

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Risks and uncertainties continued

Principal risk

Category Mitigation

Changes to tax legislation may reduce 
the availability of tax credits on R&D 
expenditure. This could reduce R&D tax 
refunds on eligible expenditure and adversely 
affect the company’s cash flow and cash 
runway.

Destiny Pharma may not be able to 
enter into partnering relationships for the 
commercialisation of its drug pipeline assets.

Destiny Pharma’s products may not generate 
market acceptance from the purchasers and 
decision makers who are the eventual users 
and buyers of the products and/or more 
effective and cheaper competing products 
may enter the market.

Dependence on key personnel, the loss 
of whom through departure, ill health or 
death may cause delays in delivering 
company strategy.

F

C

C

O

The company, in conjunction with its tax 
advisers, continually reviews any proposed 
changes to the UK R&D tax credit regime. 
The virtual model maintains a low overhead 
base which allows some flexibility in managing 
spending commitments.

A partnering strategy is in place to locate 
potential partners. The relationship with 
China Medical Systems represents the first 
such relationship. Other partnering activities are 
planned to enable Destiny Pharma to complete 
the right deal at the right time to deliver 
shareholder value.

Destiny Pharma conducts commercial market 
analysis to ensure that development activities 
are directed towards viable markets. Destiny 
Pharma also has a network of key opinion 
leaders who assist with this ongoing review.

The Board is working to ensure that there is 
no single point of failure, and that the team 
has some capacity to provide resilience in 
such an eventuality.

The strategic report has been approved by the 
Board and is signed on its behalf by:

Neil Clark
Chief Executive Officer

28 April 2020

24

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Corporate  
governance

Governance 
25 – 34

Introduction to  
corporate governance 

Board of Directors  

Directors’ remuneration report  

Directors’ report  

Financial  
statements

Financial statements 
35 – 51

Statement of  
Directors’ responsibilities 

Independent auditor’s report  

Statement of  
comprehensive income  

Statement of financial position  

Statement of changes in equity  

Statement of cash flows  

Notes to the financial statements 

26

30

32

34

35

36

38

39

40

41

42

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019

25

Introduction to corporate governance

The Directors support high standards of corporate governance  
and consider strong governance to be a key element in the 
development and success of the company. 

Board of Directors
The Board is responsible for the 
direction and overall performance of 
the company with emphasis on policy 
and strategy, financial results and 
major operational issues. 

During the year, the Board comprised 
three Executive Directors and the 
Non-executive Chairman, and at least 
two other Non-executive Directors 
who are independent of management. 
A full list of the Directors who served 
during the year, together with their 
skills and experience, is set out in the 
Directors’ report on pages 30 and 31 
of this Annual Report. Dr Huaizheng 
Peng is an appointee of CMS, a 
shareholder and strategic partner of 
the company, and therefore he cannot 
be regarded as an independent 
Director. In addition, as a minor 
shareholder and having served on 
the Board for in excess of nine years, 
Peter Morgan cannot be regarded as 
independent. Notwithstanding these 
factors, the Board considers that both 
Dr Peng and Mr Morgan offer a 
diverse range of skills and experience 
and use their independent judgement 
to challenge all matters, whether 
strategic or operational, helping the 
Board to discharge its duties and 
responsibilities effectively. 

On 1 December 2019, we announced 
the appointment of Dr Debra Barker 
as a Non-executive Director, effective 
1 January 2020. The Board considers 
Dr Barker to be independent.

26

Adoption of the QCA Code
Recent changes in the AIM Listing Rules now require companies to formally 
adopt a corporate governance code. Destiny Pharma considers that the QCA 
Corporate Governance Code (the “QCA Code”) is the most suitable 
framework for smaller listed companies and, consequently, formally adopted 
the QCA Code during the 2018 financial year, having informally followed its 
principles since its IPO in September 2017.

The Board considers that the company complies with the QCA Code so far 
as it is practicable having regard to its size, nature and current stage of 
development. The Board understands that the application of the QCA Code 
supports the company’s medium to long-term success whilst simultaneously 
managing risks and provides an underlying framework of commitment and 
transparent communications with stakeholders. Governance changes during 
the year included the resignation of Joe Eagle, a Non-executive Director, and 
the appointment of Nick Rodgers as Chair of the Remuneration Committee.

The table below shows how the company addresses the ten principles 
underpinning the QCA Code:

Deliver growth
1.  Establish a strategy and business 
model which promote long-term 
value for shareholders. See 
“business model” on page 8.

2.  Seek to understand and meet 

shareholder needs and 
expectations. See the  
“corporate governance”  
section of our website,  
www.destinypharma.com.

3.  Take into account wider 
stakeholder and social 
responsibilities and their 
implications for long-term 
success. See the  
“corporate governance”  
section of our website,  
www.destinypharma.com.

4.  Embed effective risk 

management, considering both 
opportunities and threats, 
throughout the organisation.  
See “risks and uncertainties” 
on pages 23 and 24.

Maintain a dynamic 
management framework
5.  Maintain the Board as a 

well-functioning, balanced team 
led by the Chair. See this section.

6.  Ensure that between them the 
Directors have the necessary 
up-to-date experience, skills and 
capabilities. See this section and 
“Board of Directors” on pages 
30 and 31.

7.  Evaluate Board performance 
based on clear and relevant 
objectives, seeking continuous 
improvement. See this section.

8.  Promote a corporate culture that 
is based on ethical values and 
behaviours. See this section  
and the “corporate governance” 
section of our website,  
www.destinypharma.com.

9.  Maintain governance structures 
and processes that are fit for 
purpose and support good 
decision making by the Board. 
See the “corporate governance” 
section of our website,  
www.destinypharma.com.

Build trust
10. Communicate how the company 
is governed and is performing by 
maintaining a dialogue with 
shareholders and other relevant 
stakeholders. See this section 
and the “corporate governance” 
section of our website,  
www.destinypharma.com.

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019The Board

Audit Committee

Remuneration Committee

Nomination Committee

The Board considers there to be 
sufficient independence on the 
Board given the size and stage of 
development of the company and that 
all the Non-executive Directors are of 
sufficient competence and calibre to 
add strength and objectivity to its 
activities and bring considerable 
experience in scientific, operational 
and financial development of 
biopharmaceutical products and 
companies. Appropriate Directors’ 
and officers’ liability insurance has 
been arranged by the company.

There is a clear separation of the 
roles of Chief Executive Officer and 
Chairman. The Chairman is responsible 
for overseeing the running of the 
Board and ensuring its effectiveness. 

The Chairman ensures members 
of the Board receive timely and 
appropriate information and that 
effective communication occurs with 
institutional and other shareholders. 
The Chief Executive Officer has the 
responsibility for implementing the 
strategy of the Board and managing 
the day-to-day business activities of 
the company.

The Board, led by the Chairman, 
is responsible to stakeholders for the 
proper management of the company 
and meets at least six times a year. 
All relevant information is circulated 
in good time together with a formal 
scheduled agenda covering key areas 
of the company’s affairs, including 
research and development, strategy, 
and operational and financial 
performance, which allows the Board 
to review and discuss the activities of 
the business. 

The Board also convenes after 
ad hoc meetings, where appropriate, 
to discuss strategy and activities of 
the business. Non-executive Directors 
are required to devote sufficient time 
and commitment to fulfil their Board 
duties. The Board is kept appraised 
of developments in governance and 
regulations as appropriate, including 
updates and presentations from the 
company’s Nomad. 

All Directors are subject to re-election 
by shareholders at least once every 
three years. Directors appointed 
during any year are subject to 
re-election at the first Annual General 
Meeting following their appointment.

Attendance at Board meetings
The Directors’ attendance at Board and committee meetings over the course of 2019 was as follows: 

Director 

Neil Clark 

Dr William Love  

Joe Eagle(1) 

Peter Morgan 

Dr Huaizheng Peng 

Nick Rodgers 

Shaun Claydon   

Board 
meeting 

Audit 
Committee 

Remuneration 
Committee 

Nomination  
Committee

6/6 

6/6 

5/5 

6/6 

5/6 

6/6 

6/6 

— 

— 

2/2 

3/3 

— 

3/3 

— 

— 

— 

2/2 

2/2 

— 

2/2 

— 

(1)  Resigned during the year. Please refer to the Directors’ report on page 34 for further details.

—

—

—

3/3

—

3/3

—

27

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Introduction to corporate governance continued

Board performance evaluation
The Directors consider that the 
company and Board are not yet of 
a sufficient size for an external Board 
evaluation to make commercial and 
practical sense. However, the Board 
does carry out a thorough internal 
annual review of its performance 
and that of its committees, individual 
Directors and the Chairman. 
The Directors are encouraged to 
suggest changes that they feel would 
benefit the Company and the 
company’s advisers provide updates 
on best practice where they think that 
appropriate. Concerns can also be 
directed towards the Chairman, who 
seeks to act as a sounding board for 
any concerns that Directors may have. 
As the company grows, the Board will 
keep under review the need for more 
formal evaluation processes.

Board committees
The Board has established Audit, 
Remuneration and Nomination 
Committees, each with formally 
delegated duties, responsibilities 
and written terms of reference.

Audit Committee
The Audit Committee comprises 
two members, who are both 
Non-executive Directors: Peter 
Morgan (Chair) and Nick Rodgers. 
Joe Eagle stood down from the Audit 
Committee on 23 September 2019. 

The Audit Committee, which meets 
at least twice a year, is responsible for 
keeping under review the scope and 
results of the audit, its cost 
effectiveness and the independence 
and objectivity of the auditor. Due to 
the size of the company, there is 
currently no internal audit function, 
although the Audit Committee has 
oversight responsibility for public 
reporting, overall good governance 
and the company’s internal controls. 

Other members of the Board, as well 
as the auditor, are invited to attend 
the Audit Committee meetings as and 
when appropriate, and the Chair of 
the Committee also has a direct line 
of communication with the auditor.

Remuneration Committee
The Remuneration Committee 
comprises two members, both of 
whom are Non-executive Directors: 
Nick Rodgers (Chair) and Peter 
Morgan. Joe Eagle was replaced as 
Chair of the Remuneration Committee 
by Nick Rodgers on 23 September 
2019. Since the year end, Debra 
Barker has joined the Remuneration 
Committee.

The Remuneration Committee, 
which meets at least twice a year, 
is responsible for considering the 
remuneration packages for Executive 
Directors and the bonus and share 
option strategy for the company 
and making recommendations as 
appropriate. The Remuneration 
Committee works within the 
framework of a compensation 
policy approved by the Board.

The Remuneration Committee is 
also responsible for reviewing the 
performance of the Executive 
Directors and ensuring that they are 
fairly and responsibly rewarded for 
their individual contributions to the 
company’s overall performance. 
The Committee’s scope extends 
to all remuneration of Directors, 
including bonus and share options.

None of the Committee members 
has any day-to-day responsibility for 
running the company and no Director 
participates in discussions about his 
or her own remuneration.

Nomination Committee
The Nomination Committee 
comprises two members, both of 
whom are Non-executive Directors: 
Nick Rodgers (Chair) and Peter 
Morgan. Joe Eagle stepped down 
from the Nomination Committee on 
23 September 2019 and, since the 
year end, Debra Barker has joined the 
Committee.

The Nomination Committee meets at 
least twice a year, is responsible for 
considering the composition and 
efficacy of the Board as a whole, 
and for making recommendations as 
appropriate. During the year, the 
Nomination Committee approved the 
appointment of Nick Rodgers as Chair 
of the Remuneration Committee and 
processed the selection of, and 
appointment of Debra Barker as 
a Non-executive Director, effective 
1 January 2020. 

28

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019UK Bribery Act 2010
The Board has established a bribery 
policy to achieve compliance with the 
UK Bribery Act 2010, which came into 
effect on 1 July 2011. A training 
programme is in place for all 
Directors, staff and contractors. 
Agreements with third parties contain 
statements that the company and its 
associates are required to adhere at 
all times to the UK Bribery Act 2010.

Nick Rodgers
Chairman

28 April 2020

Internal control
The Board is responsible for the 
effectiveness of the company’s 
internal control and quality systems 
and is supplied with information to 
enable it to discharge its duties. 
Internal control and quality systems 
are designed to meet the particular 
needs of the company and to manage 
rather than eliminate the risk of failure 
to meet business objectives and can 
only provide reasonable and not 
absolute assurance against material 
misstatement or loss.

Employment and 
corporate culture
The company seeks to maintain the 
highest standards of integrity and 
probity in the conduct of its 
operations. These values are 
embodied in the written policies 
and working practices adopted by all 
employees of the company. An open 
culture is actively encouraged with 
regular communications to staff 
regarding progress and staff feedback 
is regularly sought. The Executive 
Directors regularly monitor the 
company’s cultural environment and 
seek to address any concerns that 
may arise, escalating these to Board 
level as necessary. 

The Board recognises its legal 
responsibility to ensure the wellbeing, 
safety and welfare of its employees 
and to maintain a safe and healthy 
working environment for them and 
for its visitors.

Investor relations
The Board places a high priority on 
regular communications with its 
shareholders. The Board as a whole is 
responsible for ensuring that effective 
dialogue with shareholders takes 
place, while the Chairman and Chief 
Executive Officer ensure that the 
views of shareholders are 
communicated to the Board as a 
whole. The Board communicates 
with shareholders through one-to-one 
meetings, the announcement of 
half-year and full-year results, 
presentations to analysts and through 
regular updates to the company’s 
website, which contains copies of all 
financial reports and statements. 
Shareholders are able to attend the 
company’s AGM, which provides an 
excellent opportunity to engage 
directly with the Board and discuss 
the company’s strategy and 
performance in more detail. 

Corporate social responsibility
The Board recognises the importance 
of assessing the impact and benefits 
of the company’s activities on society 
and the environment and endeavours 
to consider the interest of 
shareholders and other stakeholders, 
including employees, suppliers and 
business partners, when operating 
its business. 

29

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Board of Directors
Strong leadership

The Board has a broad range of experience from senior leadership 
roles in life science, investment and listed companies.

Mr Rodgers has considerable board 
experience in both public and private 
growth companies, particularly those 
in the life science sector, as well as a 
background as a successful corporate 
financier and investment banker. 

Mr Rodgers is currently chairman 
of SEHTA, one of the largest health 
technology networking organisations 
in the UK, and a director of three 
private companies. 

He was a non-executive director and 
then chairman of fully listed Oxford 
Biomedica plc, a leading gene and cell 
therapy company, from 2004 until 2016. 

Previously, Mr Rodgers headed up both 
the Life Science and Corporate Finance 
departments at Evolution Beeson Gregory 
(now Investec), advising many listed life 
science companies from 1989 until 2003.

Dr Love was a senior scientist at Ciba 
Geigy/Novartis, focused on novel drug 
delivery technologies and involved in the 
development of the world’s leading 
eye-care pharmaceutical, Visudyne. In 1997, 
Dr Love founded Destiny Pharma and he is 
the co-inventor of the XF drug platform.

Dr Love was a founding member of the 
BEAM Alliance, an EU SME group focused 
on promoting antimicrobial drug 
development. He is an expert advisory 
board member of Global AMR Innovation 
Fund, appointed by Professor Dame Sally 
Davies in October 2016. Dr Love is the 
named inventor in more than 70 patents. 
He has experience in drug R&D from 
discovery and lead identification, 
through pre-clinical development and 
into Phase 1/2 clinical development in 
the UK, EU and US.

Mr Clark qualified as an accountant with 
PwC in Cambridge, UK and worked for 
over ten years on a variety of national 
and international assignments in audit, 
corporate finance and consultancy.

Mr Clark then joined Ergomed in January 
2009 and was CFO during its IPO in July 
2014 until his move to be full-time CEO of 
PrimeVigilance (Ergomed’s successful 
drug safety business) in January 2016. 

In 1997, Mr Clark joined CeNeS 
Pharmaceuticals plc, a venture capital 
backed private UK biotech company. 
Following the successful flotation of 
CeNeS in 1999, he was appointed CFO. 
In 2005, he became CEO and led the 
company through to its sale in 2008.

Mr Clark is a Fellow of the Institute of 
Chartered Accountants in England and 
Wales and has a BSc in Bioscience from 
the University of Nottingham.

Nick Rodgers
Chairman

Dr William Love
Founder and  
Chief Scientific Officer

Neil Clark
Chief Executive Officer

30

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Mr Claydon is an accomplished 
corporate financier and qualified 
Chartered Accountant with over 16 years’ 
board-level experience, including within 
the biotechnology sector. He has extensive 
experience of delivering financial and 
operating results, and from 2015 served as 
CFO of Creabilis, a venture backed clinical 
stage specialty pharmaceutical company 
focused on dermatology treatments, 
during which he led the $150 million 
sale of the business to Sienna 
Biopharmaceuticals. 

From 2009 to 2014, Mr Claydon was 
CFO and chief operating officer of 
Orteq Sports Medicine, a medical device 
company and world leader in the field 
of biodegradable polymer technologies. 

Prior to these positions Mr Claydon held 
a number of senior financial consultancy 
and corporate finance roles, including at 
PwC, Evolution Beeson Gregory (now 
Investec) and HSBC Investment Banking.

Dr Peng serves as general manager 
of International Operations for China 
Medical System Holdings, a specialty 
pharmaceutical company listed on the 
Hong Kong Stock Exchange. He also 
served as an independent non-executive 
director of China Medical System Holdings 
Ltd between 2007 and 2010.

Dr Peng was a partner of Northland 
Bancorp, a private equity firm. Before 
that, he worked as a head of life sciences 
and as a director of corporate finance at 
Seymour Pierce, a London-based 
investment bank and stockbroker. 
Earlier in his career Dr Peng was a senior 
portfolio manager, specialising in global 
life science and Asian technology 
investment at Reabourne Technology 
Investment Management Limited.

Mr Morgan’s early career was spent in 
the pharmaceutical industry, working as a 
product manager in the UK before moving 
to become managing director of a 
Ciba-Geigy (now Novartis) subsidiary 
in Scandinavia.

Mr Morgan was a founding director 
of Beaufort Group Limited, a business 
services company which provided 
support to pharmaceutical companies. 

From 2007 until 2015, Mr Morgan was 
a non-executive director of Oncimmune 
Limited, a cancer diagnostics company 
which floated on AIM in 2016.

Mr Morgan has advised many of the 
world’s top pharmaceutical companies, 
including Amgen, Bayer, GSK, Novartis, 
Novo Nordisk, Pfizer and Roche, as well 
as Quintiles, the world’s largest clinical 
research organisation. He has a BSc from 
the University of Nottingham and an MBA 
from London Business School.

Dr Barker has worked at Novartis, Roche, 
GSK (then SmithKline Beecham) and most 
recently at Polyphor as Chief Medical and 
Development Officer. Dr Barker is 
currently on the board of Hutman 
Diagnostics, a molecular diagnostic 
company specialising in antimicrobial 
resistance, and BerGenBio, an oncology 
company targeting immune-evasive and 
therapy resistant cancers. 

At Novartis Dr Barker held several senior 
roles including Head of Development for 
Anti-Infectives, Immunology and 
Transplantation. Dr Barker was also the 
medical lead for Swiss-based anti-infective 
specialist Polyphor’s highly successful IPO 
on the SIX Swiss Exchange.

31

Shaun Claydon
Chief Financial Officer and  
Company Secretary

Dr Huaizheng Peng
Non-executive Director

Peter Morgan
Non-executive Director

Dr Debra Barker
Non-executive Director

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Directors’ remuneration report

The Remuneration Committee of the Board of Directors is responsible 
for determining and reviewing compensation arrangements for all 
key management personnel, regarded as the Executive Directors 
and officers of the company.

Introduction 
The Remuneration Committee 
assesses the appropriateness of the 
nature and amount of emoluments of 
such officers on a periodic basis and is 
guided by an approved remuneration 
policy and takes into account relevant 
employment market conditions with 

the overall objective of ensuring 
maximum stakeholder benefit from 
the retention of a high-quality Board 
and executive team. The Remuneration 
Committee additionally links part of 
key management remuneration to the 
company’s financial and operational 
performance. 

Emoluments of Directors
Details of the nature and amount of each element of the emoluments of each Director who served during the year ended 
31 December 2019 are as follows:

Neil Clark 

Dr William Love  

Joe Eagle(1) 

Peter Morgan 

Dr Huaizheng Peng 

Nick Rodgers 

Shaun Claydon   

Total 

274,443 

228,724 

30,000 

40,000 

40,000 

80,000 

114,330 

807,497 

Short-term  
employee 
benefits 
£ 

Post- 
employment 
benefits 
£ 

Other 
benefits 
£ 

3,000 

2,618 

—  

—  

—  

—  

22,990 

18,892 

—  

—  

—  

—  

11,433 

53,315 

2,268 

7,886 

Total 
2019 
£ 

300,433 

250,234 

30,000 

40,000 

40,000 

80,000 

128,031 

Total 
2018 
£

232,900

198,616

40,000

40,000

40,000

21,231

22,911

868,698 

808,868

(1)  Resigned during the 2019 financial year. Please refer to the Directors’ report on page 34 for further details.

32

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Directors’ interests 
The interests of the Directors holding office at 31 December 2019 in the shares of the company are set out below:

Ordinary shares of £0.01 each 

Neil Clark 

Dr William Love(1) 

Shaun Claydon   

Peter Morgan 

Dr Huaizheng Peng 

Nick Rodgers 

31 December 
2019 

31 December 
2018

—  

—

6,859,500 

6,859,500

—  

—

1,025,500 

1,025,500

—  

—  

—

—

(1)  3,667,700 of these ordinary shares are held by Dr Love directly and 3,191,800 are held by his wife, Carole Love.

Options in the company’s shares held by the Directors holding office at 31 December 2019 are set out below: 

Share options 

Neil Clark 

Dr William Love  

Shaun Claydon   

Peter Morgan 

Dr Huaizheng Peng 

Nick Rodgers 

31 December 
2019 

31 December  

2018

544,305 

765,394 

344,305

765,394

300,000 

300,000

719,962 

719,962

—  

—  

—

—

The options are exercisable at various dates up to June 2029.

The company’s shares were admitted to trading on AIM on 4 September 2017. The market price of the company’s shares 
at the end of the reporting period was 44.0 pence (2018: 62.0 pence) and the range during the period from admission to 
the end of the reporting period was 36.5 pence to 235.0 pence (2018: 61.5 pence to 235.0 pence) per share.

33

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Directors’ report

The Directors present their report together with the 
audited accounts of Destiny Pharma plc.

Directors
Those who served as Directors during 
the year are:

•  Nick Rodgers,  

Non-executive Chairman;

•  Neil Clark,  

Chief Executive Officer;

•  Dr William Love,  

Founder and Chief Scientific 
Officer;

•  Shaun Claydon,  

Chief Financial Officer;

•  Joe Eagle,  

Non-executive Director  
(resigned 23 September 2019);

•  Peter Morgan,  

Non-executive Director; and

•  Dr Huaizheng Peng,  

Non-executive Director.

Results and dividends
The loss after taxation for the year 
ended 31 December 2019 was 
£4.7 million (2018: £5.2 million).

Directors’ interests
Directors’ interests at 31 December 
2019 in the shares and share options 
of the company are shown in the 
Directors’ remuneration report on 
page 33.

Financial instruments
The company’s principal financial 
instruments comprise cash balances, 
term deposits, and other payables and 
receivables that arise in the normal 
course of business. The risks 
associated with these financial 
instruments are disclosed in note 
14 to the financial statements.

Research and development 
For details of the company’s research 
and development, please refer to the 
strategic report, which forms part of 
this Annual Report.

Future developments
Further information regarding the 
future developments of the company 
is contained in the strategic report, 
which forms part of this 
Annual Report.

Directors’ liabilities
Subject to the conditions set out 
in the Companies Act 2006, the 
company has arranged appropriate 
Directors’ and officers’ liability 
insurance to indemnify the Directors 
against liability in respect of 
proceedings brought by third parties. 
Such provisions remain in force at the 
date of this report.

Disclosure of information 
to the auditor
So far as each person who was a 
Director at the date of approving this 
report is aware, there is no relevant 
audit information, being information 
needed by the auditor in connection 
with preparing its report, of which the 
auditor is unaware. Having made 
enquiries of fellow Directors, each 
Director has taken all the steps that 
he ought to have taken as a Director 
in order to have made himself aware 
of any relevant audit information and 
to establish that the auditor is aware 
of that information.

Re-appointment of the auditor
In accordance with section 489 of the 
Companies Act 2006, a resolution to 
re-appoint Crowe U.K. LLP will be 
proposed at the next Annual General 
Meeting.

Board committees
Information on the Audit, 
Remuneration and Nomination 
Committees is included in the 
corporate governance section of the 
Annual Report on pages 26 to 34.

Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting will be 
held on 10 June 2020 as stated in the 
notice that accompanies this Annual 
Report.

By order of the Board.

Shaun Claydon
Company Secretary

28 April 2020

34

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Statement of Directors’ responsibilities

The Directors are responsible for 
preparing the Annual Report and 
Financial Statements in accordance 
with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the Directors 
to prepare financial statements for 
each financial year. Under that law, 
the Directors have elected to prepare 
the financial statements in accordance 
with International Financial Reporting 
Standards (“IFRSs”) as adopted by 
the EU and applicable law.

Under company law, the Directors 
must not approve the financial 
statements unless they are satisfied 
that they give a true and fair view of 
the state of affairs of the company 
and of the profit or loss of the 
company for that period. In preparing 
these financial statements, the 
Directors are required to:

•  select suitable accounting policies 
and then apply them consistently;

•  make judgements and accounting 
estimates that are reasonable and 
prudent;

•  state whether applicable 

accounting standards have been 
followed, subject to any material 
departures disclosed and explained 
in the financial statements; and

•  prepare the financial statements on 
the going concern basis unless it is 
inappropriate to presume that the 
company will continue in business.

The Directors are responsible for 
keeping adequate accounting records 
that are sufficient to show and explain 
the company’s transactions and 
disclose with reasonable accuracy at 
any time the financial position of the 
company and enable them to ensure 
that the financial statements comply 
with the Companies Act 2006. 
They are also responsible for 
safeguarding the assets of the 
company and hence for taking 
reasonable steps for the prevention 
and detection of fraud and other 
irregularities.

They are further responsible for 
ensuring that the strategic report 
and Directors’ report, and other 
information included in the Annual 
Report and Financial Statements, 
are prepared in accordance with 
applicable law in the United Kingdom.

The maintenance and integrity of 
the Destiny Pharma plc website is 
the responsibility of the Directors; 
the work carried out by the auditor 
does not involve the consideration of 
these matters and, accordingly, the 
auditor accepts no responsibility for 
any changes that may have occurred 
in the accounts since they were 
initially presented on the website. 

Legislation in the United Kingdom 
governing the preparation and 
dissemination of the accounts and the 
other information included in annual 
reports may differ from legislation in 
other jurisdictions.

35

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Independent auditor’s report
to the shareholders of Destiny Pharma plc

Opinion
We have audited the financial 
statements of Destiny Pharma plc 
for the year ended 31 December 2019, 
which comprise:

Basis for opinion 
We conducted our audit in 
accordance with International 
Standards on Auditing (UK) 
(“ISAs (UK)”) and applicable law. 

•  the statement of comprehensive 

income for the year ended 
31 December 2019;

•  the statement of financial position 

as at 31 December 2019;

•  the statement of cash flows and 

statement of changes in equity for 
the year ended 31 December 2019; 
and

•  the notes to the financial 

statements, which include a 
summary of significant accounting 
policies and other explanatory 
information.

The financial reporting framework 
that has been applied in the 
preparation of the company financial 
statements is applicable law and 
International Financial Reporting 
Standards (“IFRSs”) as adopted 
by the European Union. 

In our opinion, the financial 
statements:

Our responsibilities under those 
standards are further described in the 
auditor’s responsibilities for the audit 
of the financial statements section of 
our report. We are independent of the 
company in accordance with the 
ethical requirements that are relevant 
to our audit of the financial 
statements in the UK, including the 
FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have 
fulfilled our other ethical 
responsibilities in accordance 
with these requirements. 

We believe that the audit evidence 
we have obtained is sufficient and 
appropriate to provide a basis for 
our opinion.

Conclusions relating 
to going concern
We have nothing to report in respect 
of the following matters in relation to 
which ISAs (UK) require us to report 
to you when:

•  give a true and fair view of the 

•  the Directors’ use of the going 

state of the company’s affairs as 
at 31 December 2019 and of the 
company’s loss for the period 
then ended;

•  have been properly prepared in 
accordance with International 
Financial Reporting Standards as 
adopted by the European Union; 
and

•  have been prepared in accordance 

with the requirements of the 
Companies Act 2006.

concern basis of accounting in the 
preparation of the financial 
statements is not appropriate; or

•  the Directors have not disclosed 
in the financial statements any 
identified material uncertainties 
that may cast significant doubt 
about the company’s ability to 
continue to adopt the going 
concern basis of accounting for 
a period of at least twelve months 
from the date the financial 
statements are authorised for issue. 

Overview of our audit approach
Materiality
In planning and performing our audit 
we applied the concept of materiality. 
An item is considered material if it 
could reasonably be expected to 
change the economic decisions of 
a user of the financial statements. 
We used the concept of materiality to 
both focus our testing and to evaluate 
the impact of misstatements 
identified.

Based on our professional judgement, 
we determined overall materiality for 
the company financial statements as 
a whole to be £200,000 based on 4% 
of loss before tax (2018: £300,000). 

We use a different level of materiality 
(“performance materiality”) 
to determine the extent of our 
testing for the audit of the financial 
statements. Performance materiality 
is set based on the audit materiality as 
adjusted for the judgements made as 
to the entity risk and our evaluation of 
the specific risk of each audit area 
having regard to the internal control 
environment. 

Where considered appropriate, 
performance materiality may be 
reduced to a lower level, such as 
for related party transactions and 
Directors’ remuneration.

We agreed with the Audit Committee 
to report to it all identified errors in 
excess of £7,500. Errors below that 
threshold would also be reported to it 
if, in our opinion as auditor, disclosure 
was required on qualitative grounds.

Overview of the scope 
of our audit
The company’s operations are based 
in the UK at one central operating 
location. The audit team visited this 
location and performed a full scope 
audit on the company.

Key audit matters
There were no matters which we 
consider should be separately 
reported as key audit matters.

36

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Other information
The Directors are responsible for 
the other information. The other 
information comprises the information 
included in the Annual Report, other 
than the financial statements and our 
auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion 
on the financial statements does not 
cover the other information and, 
except to the extent otherwise 
explicitly stated in our report, we do 
not express any form of assurance 
conclusion thereon.

In connection with our audit of the 
financial statements, our responsibility 
is to read the other information and, in 
doing so, consider whether the other 
information is materially inconsistent 
with the financial statements or our 
knowledge obtained in the audit or 
otherwise appears to be materially 
misstated. If we identify such material 
inconsistencies or apparent material 
misstatements, we are required to 
determine whether there is a material 
misstatement in the financial 
statements or a material misstatement 
of the other information. If, based on 
the work we have performed, 
we conclude that there is a 
material misstatement of this other 
information, we are required to report 
that fact. 

We have nothing to report in this 
regard.

Opinion on other matters 
prescribed by the Companies 
Act 2006
In our opinion, based on the work 
undertaken in the course of our audit: 

•  the information given in the 

strategic report and the Directors’ 
report for the financial year for 
which the financial statements are 
prepared is consistent with the 
financial statements; and

•  the Directors’ report and strategic 

report have been prepared in 
accordance with applicable legal 
requirements.

Matters on which we are required 
to report by exception
In light of the knowledge and 
understanding of the company and its 
environment obtained in the course of 
the audit, we have not identified 
material misstatements in the 
strategic report or the 
Directors’ report.

We have nothing to report in respect 
of the following matters where the 
Companies Act 2006 requires us to 
report to you if, in our opinion:

•  adequate accounting records have 
not been kept by the company, or 
returns adequate for our audit have 
not been received from branches 
not visited by us; or

•  the financial statements are not 

in agreement with the accounting 
records and returns; or

•  certain disclosures of Directors’ 

remuneration specified by law are 
not made; or

•  we have not received all the 

information and explanations we 
require for our audit.

Responsibilities of the Directors 
for the financial statements
As explained more fully in the 
Directors’ responsibilities statement, 
the Directors are responsible for the 
preparation of the financial 
statements and for being satisfied 
that they give a true and fair view, and 
for such internal control as the 
Directors determine is necessary to 
enable the preparation of financial 
statements that are free from material 
misstatement, whether due to fraud 
or error.

In preparing the financial statements, 
the Directors are responsible for 
assessing the company’s ability to 
continue as a going concern, 
disclosing, as applicable, matters 
related to going concern and using 
the going concern basis of accounting 
unless the Directors either intend to 
liquidate the company or to cease 
operations, or have no realistic 
alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the 
audit of the financial statements
Our objectives are to obtain 
reasonable assurance about whether 
the financial statements as a whole 
are free from material misstatement, 
whether due to fraud or error, and to 
issue an auditor’s report that includes 
our opinion. Reasonable assurance is 
a high level of assurance, but is not a 
guarantee that an audit conducted in 
accordance with ISAs (UK) will always 
detect a material misstatement when 
it exists.

Misstatements can arise from fraud or 
error and are considered material if, 
individually or in the aggregate, 
they could reasonably be expected to 
influence the economic decisions of 
users taken on the basis of these 
financial statements.

A further description of our 
responsibilities for the audit of 
the financial statements is located 
on the Financial Reporting Council’s 
website at:  
www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. 
This description forms part of our 
auditor’s report.

Use of our report
This report is made solely to the 
company’s members, as a body, in 
accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 
of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit 
work has been undertaken so that we 
might state to the company’s 
members those matters we are 
required to state to them in an 
auditor’s report and for no other 
purpose. To the fullest extent 
permitted by law, we do not accept or 
assume responsibility to anyone other 
than the company and the company’s 
members as a body, for our audit 
work, for this report, or for the 
opinions we have formed.

Stephen Bullock 
(Senior Statutory Auditor) 
for and on behalf of  
Crowe U.K. LLP  
Statutory Auditor, London

28 April 2020

37

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Statement of comprehensive income
For the year ended 31 December 2019

Continuing operations 

Other operating income 

Administrative expenses 

Share-based payment expense 

Loss from operations  

Finance income  

Loss before tax  

Taxation 

Loss and total comprehensive loss for the year from continuing operations 

Loss per share – pence 

Basic 

Diluted 

Year ended 
31 December  
2019 
£ 

305,906 

Year ended  
31 December  
2018  

£

—

(5,687,003) 

(5,346,170)

(203,655) 

(737,687)

(5,584,752) 

(6,083,857)

63,478 

75,999

(5,521,274) 

(6,007,858)

813,250 

841,144

(4,708,024) 

(5,166,714)

(10.7)p 

(10.7)p 

(11.9)p

(11.9)p

Notes 

6 

7 

3 

5 

8 

8 

38

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Statement of financial position
As at 31 December 2019

Assets 

Non-current assets 

Property, plant and equipment 

Non-current assets 

Current assets   

Trade and other receivables 

Cash and cash equivalents 

Other financial assets 

Prepayments 

Current assets   

Total assets 

Equity and liabilities 

Equity 

Share capital 

Share premium   

Accumulated losses 

Shareholders’ equity 

Current liabilities 

Trade and other payables 

Current liabilities 

Total equity and liabilities 

As at 
31 December  
2019 
£ 

As at 
31 December  
2018  

£

Notes 

9 

10 

11 

12 

32,922 

32,922 

30,421

30,421

911,198 

930,759

7,479,642 

7,060,821

— 

5,000,000

133,702 

36,406

8,524,542 

13,027,986

8,557,464 

13,058,407

13 

438,652 

435,626

17,296,337 

17,292,284

(9,975,664) 

(5,471,295)

7,759,325 

12,256,615

14 

798,139 

798,139 

801,792

801,792

8,557,464 

13,058,407

The financial statements, accompanying policies and notes 1 to 17 (forming an integral part of these financial statements), 
were approved and authorised for issue by the Board on 28 April 2020 and were signed on its behalf by:

Neil Clark 
Chief Executive Officer 

Shaun Claydon
Chief Financial Officer

39

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Statement of changes in equity
For the year ended 31 December 2019

1 January 2018   

Comprehensive loss for the year  

Total comprehensive loss 

Total comprehensive loss for the year 

Contributions by and distributions to owners  

Share-based payment expense  

Total contributions by and distributions to owners 

31 December 2018 

Comprehensive loss for the year  

Total comprehensive loss 

Total comprehensive loss for the year 

Contributions by and distributions to owners 

Issue of share capital  

Share-based payment expense  

Share 
capital 
£ 

Share 
premium 
£ 

Accumulated 
losses 
£ 

Total 
£

435,626 

17,292,284 

(1,042,268) 

16,685,642

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(5,166,714) 

(5,166,714)

(5,166,714) 

(5,166,714)

737,687 

737,687 

737,687

737,687

435,626 

17,292,284 

(5,471,295) 

12,256,615

— 

— 

3,026 

—  

— 

— 

(4,708,024) 

(4,708,024)

(4,708,024) 

(4,708,024)

4,053 

—  

4,053 

— 

203,655 

203,655 

7,079

203,655

210,734

Total contributions by and distributions to owners 

3,026 

31 December 2019 

438,652 

17,296,337 

(9,975,664) 

7,759,325

40

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
Statement of cash flows
For the year ended 31 December 2019

Cash flows from operating activities 

Loss before income tax 

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment 

Share-based payment expense 

Finance income  

Increase in trade and other receivables and prepayments 

Decrease in trade and other payables 

Cash used in operations 

Tax received 

Net cash used in operating activities 

Cash flows from investing activities 

Purchase of property, plant and equipment  

Sale of other financial assets 

Interest received 

Net cash inflow from investing activities 

Cash flows from financing activities 

New shares issued  

Net cash inflow from financing activities 

Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year 

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year   

Year ended 
31 December  
2019 
£ 

Year ended  
31 December  
2018  

£

(5,521,274) 

(6,007,858)

18,440 

203,655 

(63,478) 

9,663

737,687

(75,999)

(5,362,657) 

(5,336,507)

(79,800) 

(3,653) 

(5,446,110) 

815,316 

(23,162)

404,317

381,155

233,908

(4,630,794) 

(4,721,444)

(20,942) 

(17,771)

5,000,000 

63,478 

5,042,536 

7,079 

7,079 

—

75,999

58,228

—

—

418,821 

(4,663,216)

7,060,821 

11,724,037

7,479,642 

7,060,821

41

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notes to the financial statements
For the year ended 31 December 2019

1. Accounting policies
General information
Destiny Pharma plc (the “company”) 
was incorporated and domiciled in the 
UK on 4 March 1996 with registration 
number 03167025. The company’s 
registered office is located at  
Unit 36, Sussex Innovation Centre, 
Science Park Square, Falmer,  
Brighton BN1 9SB.

The company is engaged in the 
discovery, development and 
commercialisation of new 
antimicrobials that have unique 
properties to improve outcomes for 
patients and the delivery of medical 
care into the future.

Basis of preparation
The financial statements have 
been prepared in accordance with 
International Financial Reporting 
Standards (“IFRSs”) as adopted by 
the European Union. The financial 
statements have been prepared under 
the historical cost convention. 

The company’s financial statements 
have been presented in pounds 
sterling (“GBP”), being the functional 
and presentation currency of the 
company. 

Standards and 
interpretations issued
a) New standards, interpretations 

and amendments effective from 
1 January 2019

IFRS 16: Leases became applicable 
to the company on 1 January 2019. 
The company has elected not to apply 
the requirements of paragraphs 22 to 
49 of IFRS 16 in relation to short-term 
leases and has no material leases 
which are other than short term. 
The adoption of IFRS 16 therefore had 
no impact on the financial statements 
and no adjustments were required as 
a consequence of its adoption.

b) New standards, interpretations 

and amendments not yet effective

At the date of authorisation of the 
company’s financial statements, 
certain new standards, amendments 
and interpretations to existing 
standards have been published by the 
International Accounting Standards 
Board but are not yet effective and 
have not been adopted early by the 
company. The most significant of 
these are as follows, which are both 
effective for the period beginning 
1 January 2020:

• 

IAS 1: Presentation of Financial 
Statements and IAS 8: Accounting 
Policies, Changes in Accounting 
Estimates and Errors (Amendment 
– Definition of Material); and

•  revised Conceptual Framework for 

Financial Reporting. 

All relevant standards, amendments 
and interpretations to existing 
standards will be adopted in the 
company’s accounting policies in the 
first period beginning on or after the 
effective date of the relevant 
pronouncement.

The Directors do not anticipate that 
the adoption of these standards, 
amendments and interpretations 
will have a material impact on the 
company’s financial statements in 
the periods of initial application.

Segment reporting
The chief operating decision-maker 
is considered to be the Board of 
Directors of the company. The chief 
operating decision-maker allocates 
resources and assesses performance 
of the business and other activities at 
the operating segment level.

The chief operating decision-maker 
has determined that the company has 
one operating segment, the 
development and commercialisation 
of pharmaceutical formulations. 
All activities take place in the 
United Kingdom.

Financial instruments
Financial assets and financial liabilities 
are recognised when the company 
becomes a party to the contractual 
provisions of the instrument. 
The company currently does not use 
derivative financial instruments to 
manage or hedge financial exposures 
or liabilities.

Cash and cash equivalents
Bank balances and cash in the 
statement of financial position 
comprise cash at banks and on hand.

Financial assets
Financial assets are initially measured 
at fair value plus, in the case of a 
financial asset not at fair value 
through profit or loss, transaction 
costs. The group holds the financial 
assets with the objective to collect the 
contractual cash flows and therefore 
measures them subsequently at 
amortised cost using the effective 
interest method.

Trade and other payables
Trade and other payables are initially 
recognised at fair value. Fair value is 
considered to be the original invoice 
amount, discounted where material, 
for short-term payables. Long-term 
payables are measured at amortised 
cost using the effective interest 
rate method. 

Derecognition of financial assets 
and liabilities
a) Financial assets
A financial asset is derecognised 
where:

•  the right to receive cash flows 
from the asset has expired;

•  the company retains the right to 

receive cash flows from the asset, 
but has assumed an obligation to 
pay them in full without material 
delay to a third party under a 
pass-through arrangement; or

•  the company has transferred the 
rights to receive cash flows from 
the asset; and

i)  either has transferred 

substantially all the risks and 
rewards of the asset; or

ii)  has neither transferred nor 

retained substantially all the 
risks and rewards of the asset, 
but has transferred control of 
the asset.

42

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019b) Financial liabilities
A financial liability is derecognised 
when the obligation under the liability 
is discharged, cancelled or expires. 
Where an existing financial liability is 
replaced by another from the same 
lender on substantially different 
terms, or the terms of an existing 
liability are substantially modified, 
such an exchange or modification is 
treated as a derecognition of the 
original liability and the recognition 
of a new liability, and the difference 
in the respective carrying amounts 
is recognised in the statement of 
comprehensive income. 

Impairment of financial assets
Financial assets are assessed for 
indicators of impairment at the end 
of the reporting period. The company 
recognises an allowance for expected 
credit losses (“ECLs”) for all debt 
instruments not held at fair value 
through profit or loss. ECLs are 
based on the difference between 
the contractual cash flows due in 
accordance with the contract and 
all the cash flows that the company 
expects to receive, discounted at an 
approximation of the original effective 
interest rate.

For credit exposures for which there 
has not been a significant increase in 
credit risk since initial recognition, 
ECLs are provided for credit losses 
that result from default events that 
are possible within the next twelve 
months (a “twelve-month ECL”). 
For those credit exposures for which 
there has been a significant increase 
in credit risk since initial recognition, 
a loss allowance is required for credit 
losses expected over the remaining 
life of the exposure, irrespective of the 
timing of the default (a “lifetime ECL”).

Share‑based payments
Employees (including Directors and 
senior executives) of the company 
receive remuneration in the form of 
share-based payment transactions, 
whereby these individuals render 
services as consideration for equity 
instruments (“equity-settled 
transactions”). These individuals are 
granted share option rights approved 
by the Board. No cash-settled awards 
have been made or are planned. 

The cost of equity-settled 
transactions is recognised, together 
with a corresponding increase in 
equity, over the period in which the 
performance and/or service 
conditions are fulfilled, ending on the 
date on which the relevant individuals 
become fully entitled to the award 
(“vesting point”). The cumulative 
expense recognised for equity-settled 
transactions at each reporting date 
until the vesting date reflects the 
extent to which the vesting period 
has expired and the company’s best 
estimate of the number of equity 
instruments and value that will 
ultimately vest. The statement of 
comprehensive income charge for the 
year represents the movement in the 
cumulative expense recognised as at 
the beginning and end of that period. 

The fair value of share-based 
remuneration is determined at the 
date of grant and recognised as an 
expense in the statement of 
comprehensive income on a 
straight-line basis over the vesting 
period, taking account of the 
estimated number of shares that will 
vest. The fair value is determined by 
use of a Black-Scholes model.

Property, plant and equipment
Property, plant and equipment are 
stated at cost less accumulated 
depreciation and impairment losses, 
if any. The cost of an asset comprises 
its purchase price and any directly 
attributable costs of bringing the 
asset to its present working condition 
and location for its intended use.

Depreciation is provided at the 
following annual rates in order to 
write off each asset over its estimated 
useful life:

•  plant and machinery – between 

two and ten years.

Taxation
Current taxes are based on the results 
shown in the financial statements and 
are calculated according to local tax 
rules, using tax rates enacted or 
substantially enacted by the 
statement of financial position date. 
R&D tax credits are recognised on an 
accruals basis and are included as a 
current asset within trade and 
other receivables.

Research and development
Development costs and expenditure 
on pure and applied research are 
charged to the profit and loss account 
in the year in which they are incurred. 
Expenditure incurred on the 
development of internally generated 
products will be capitalised from 
when Phase 3 trials are completed 
and regulatory approval is obtained.

Government grants
Government grants are included 
within other operating income and are 
recognised where there is reasonable 
assurance that the grant will be 
received and all attached conditions 
will be complied with. When the grant 
relates to an expense item, it is 
recognised as income on a systematic 
basis over the periods that the related 
costs, for which it is intended to 
compensate, are expensed.

Government grants comprise 
amounts from the UK-China AMR 
grant fund, set up by Innovate UK and 
the Department of Health and Social 
Care, with the Chinese Ministry of 
Science and Technology. This grant 
funding is being used to support a 
research programme which seeks to 
extend the knowledge base and 
activity profile of the company’s novel 
XF drugs. There are no unfulfilled 
conditions or contingencies relating 
to grant income recognised in the 
income statement. 

Foreign currency
Transactions in foreign currencies are 
initially recorded using the functional 
currency rate ruling at the date of the 
transaction. Monetary assets and 
liabilities denominated in foreign 
currencies are re-translated at the 
functional currency rate of exchange 
ruling at the statement of financial 
position date. Any resulting exchange 
differences are included in the 
statement of comprehensive income. 

Pension costs
Contributions are made to the 
personal pension plans of certain 
employees. The expenditure is 
charged to the profit and loss account 
in the period to which it relates.

43

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Notes to the financial statements continued
For the year ended 31 December 2019

1. Accounting policies continued
Going concern
The company has not yet recorded any revenues and funds its operations through periodic capital issues and research 
grants. Management prepares detailed working capital forecasts which are reviewed by the Board on a regular basis. 
Cash flow forecasts and projections take into account sensitivities on receipts, and costs. In their assessment of going 
concern the directors have considered the possible impact on the business of the COVID-19 pandemic. As noted in the 
Strategic Report this has to date had no significant impact on the company’s operations other than an anticipated 
short-term delay to the existing Phase 2b clinical study’s timetable. Having made relevant and appropriate enquiries, 
including consideration of the company’s current cash resources and the working capital forecasts, the Directors have a 
reasonable expectation that the company will have adequate cash resources to continue to meet the requirements of the 
business for at least the next twelve months. Accordingly, the Board continues to adopt the going concern basis in 
preparing the financial statements.

Critical accounting judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty
In the application of the company’s accounting policies, the Directors are required to make judgements, estimates 
and assumptions about the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. 
The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to 
be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

Estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are 
recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the 
revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods.

The following critical judgements have been made by the Directors.

Share‑based payments
The Directors have to make judgements when deciding on the variables to apply in arriving at an appropriate valuation 
of share-based compensation and similar awards including appropriate factors for volatility, risk-free interest rate and 
applicable future performance conditions and exercise patterns. Further details of these factors can be found in note 13.

2. Directors and employees
The average number of persons employed by the company, including Executive and Non-executive Directors, during the 
year was as follows:

31 December 
2019 

31 December 
2018

7 

5 

12 

4 

16 

5

5

10

5

15

31 December 
2019 
£ 

31 December 
2018 
£

1,529,854 

1,287,907

149,833 

74,927 

83,061 

187,410 

2,025,085 

149,274

53,704

90,660

696,573

2,278,118

Research and development 

Corporate and administration 

Non-executive Directors 

Their aggregate remuneration, including Directors, comprised:

Wages and salaries 

Social security costs 

Other benefits   

Pension costs 

Share-based payment expense 

44

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Details of Directors’ remuneration can be found in the Directors’ remuneration report and are summarised below:

Directors’ remuneration 

Pension costs 

Other benefits   

Share-based payment expense 

The number of Directors to whom retirement benefits were accruing was as follows: 

Defined contribution schemes 

31 December  
2019 
£ 

31 December  
2018  

£

910,594 

746,866

53,315 

7,887 

170,432 

51,801

10,201

591,171

31 December  
2019 

31 December  
2018 

3 

3

The company defines key management personnel as the Directors of the company. 

The company makes payments into both occupational pension and personal pension funds held by staff. 
The pension cost charge represents contributions payable by the company to the funds. The amount due to the funds 
at 31 December 2019 was £4,141 (2018: £3,091).

3. Net finance income

Finance income 

Deposit account interest 

4. Auditor’s remuneration

Fees payable to the company’s auditor for: 

Audit of the company’s annual accounts 

Audit-related assurance services   

Tax services 

Total 

5. Income tax

31 December  
2019 
£ 

31 December  
2018  

£

63,478 

75,999

31 December  
2019 
£ 

31 December  
2018  

£

24,250 

4,600 

2,500 

31,350 

23,500

2,750

2,500

28,750

31 December  
2019 
£ 

31 December  
2018  

£

Research and development tax credits based on costs in the financial year 

(839,079) 

(841,144) 

Non-recoverable tax credit in prior year 

25,829 

— 

(813,250) 

(841,144)

45

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notes to the financial statements continued
For the year ended 31 December 2019

5. Income tax continued
Tax reconciliation

Loss before tax  

31 December  
2019 
£ 

31 December  
2018  

£

(5,521,274) 

(6,007,858)

Loss before tax multiplied by the UK corporation tax rate of 19% (2018: 19%) 

(1,049,042) 

(1,141,493)

Effects of: 

Non-deductible expenditure 

Employee share acquisition relief  

R&D enhanced expenditure 

Lower tax rate on R&D losses 

Tax losses carried forward 

Total tax credit on loss 

38,911 

148,637

(43,860) 

—

(621,447) 

(622,976)

260,404 

575,955 

261,044

513,644

(839,079) 

(841,144)

There were no tax charges in the period. There are tax losses available to carry forward amounting to approximately 
£16.8 million (2018: £13.7 million), which includes £0.2 million (2018: £0.7 million) in respect of tax deductions on share 
options. A deferred tax asset on losses is not recognised in the accounts due to the uncertainty of future profits against 
which they will be utilised.

6. Other operating income

Government grants received during the year 

Government grants accrued at 31 December 

Included in trade and other receivables (note 10) 

31 December  
2019 
£ 

269,216 

36,690 

305,906 

36,690 

31 December  
2018  

£

—

—

—

—

Grant funding has been received to support research and development activities which seek to extend the knowledge 
base and activity profile of the Company’s novel XF drugs. There are no unfulfilled conditions or contingencies attached 
to these grants.

31 December  
2019 
£ 

31 December 
2018 
£

973,772 

829,625 

724,678

856,867

2,851,672 

2,749,034

18,440 

45,787 

9,663

(122,305)

7. Administrative expenses
Administrative expenses include:

Staff costs   – research and development 

– other 

Research and development costs  

Depreciation 

Foreign exchange differences 

46

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8. Loss per ordinary share
The calculation for loss per ordinary share (basic and diluted) for the relevant period is based on the earnings after 
income tax attributable to equity shareholders for the period. As the company made losses during the period, there are 
no dilutive potential ordinary shares in issue, and therefore basic and diluted loss per share are identical. The calculation 
is as follows:

Loss for the year attributable to shareholders 

Weighted average number of shares 

Loss per share – pence 

– Basic and diluted 

9. Property, plant and equipment 

Cost 

At 1 January 2018 

Additions 

At 31 December 2018 

Additions 

At 31 December 2019 

Depreciation 

At 1 January 2018 

Charge for the year 

At 31 December 2018 

Charge for the year 

At 31 December 2019 

Net book value 

At 1 January 2018 

At 31 December 2018 

At 31 December 2019 

10. Trade and other receivables

Other receivables 

Research and development tax repayment 

11. Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and bank balances 

31 December  
2019 
£ 

31 December  
2018  

£

(4,708,024) 

(5,166,714)

43,799,945 

43,562,598

(10.7)p 

(11.9)p

Plant and  
machinery  

£

79,376

17,771

97,147

20,942

118,089

57,063

9,663

66,726

18,440

85,167

22,313

30,421

32,922

31 December  
2019 
£ 

31 December  
2018 
£

72,119 

839,079 

911,198 

89,615

841,144

930,759

31 December  
2019 
£ 

31 December  
2018  

£

7,479,642 

7,060,821

47

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notes to the financial statements continued
For the year ended 31 December 2019

12. Other financial assets

Term deposits with maturities greater than three months 

13. Share capital

Ordinary shares of £0.01 each  

Authorised(1)  

Allotted and fully paid 

At 1 January 

Issued for cash during the year 

At 31 December 

31 December  
2019 
£ 

31 December  
2018  

£

— 

5,000,000

31 December 
2019 
Number 

31 December  
2018 
Number

n/a 

n/a

43,562,598 

43,562,598

302,597 

—

43,865,195 

43,562,598

(1)  During the year ended 31 December 2017 the company adopted new Articles of Association, which do not require the company 

to have authorised share capital.

Authorised  

Allotted and fully paid  

Share premium account 

31 December  
2019 
£ 

n/a 

31 December  
2018  

£

n/a

438,652 

435,626

31 December  
2019 
£ 

31 December  
2018  

£

17,296,337 

17,292,284

Each ordinary share ranks pari passu for voting rights, dividends and distributions, and return of capital on winding up.

Share options
The expense arising from share-based payment transactions recognised in the year ended 31 December 2019 was 
£203,655 (year ended 31 December 2018: £737,687).

The company’s share-based payment arrangements are summarised below.

Share option schemes
As part of its strategy for executive and key employee remuneration, the company issued share options under two 
schemes established on 15 November 2000 – an Unapproved Scheme and an EMI Scheme (the “Old Schemes”).  
During 2017, the company established two new share option schemes – the Employee LTIP Scheme and the 
Non-Employee LTIP Scheme, both of which were established on 18 April 2017 (the “New Schemes”). Awards under  
the Employee LTIP Scheme are made to qualifying employees and in accordance with Schedule 5 of the Income Tax 
(Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 so that, provided awards are within the qualifying limits, the awards qualify as EMI 
options. Any awards under the Employee LTIP Scheme which do not fall within the qualifying limits do not qualify as  
EMI options. Awards under the Non-Employee LTIP Scheme do not qualify as EMI options.

The principal terms of the company’s share option schemes are as follows:

Unapproved Scheme
Options are granted at the discretion of the Directors. The price per share to be paid on exercise of an option will be the 
market value as agreed with the Share Valuation Division of HM Revenue & Customs at the time of the grant of the option 
and as detailed in the option certificate. Options may be exercised three years from the date of grant and lapse on the 
expiry of ten years from the date of grant of the option.

EMI Scheme
Options granted under the EMI Scheme are on substantially the same terms as options granted under the Unapproved 
Scheme, save that the EMI Scheme rules comply with the terms of the enterprise management incentive as set out in 
Schedule 14 of the Finance Act 2000.

48

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Employee LTIP Scheme 
Options are granted at the discretion of the Directors to eligible employees in accordance with Schedule 5 of the Income 
Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 up to the limits set out therein. The price per share to be paid on exercise of an 
Employee LTIP Option will be the market value as agreed with HMRC at the time of the grant of the option. Options lapse 
on the expiry of ten years from the date of grant, the date specified in any leaver provisions or any other lapse date 
specified in the relevant option agreement.

Non-Employee LTIP Scheme
Options are granted on substantially similar terms to the Employee LTIP Scheme except that the EMI and/or employment 
related provisions and requirements do not apply. These options can be granted to any Director of, or individual 
providing consultancy or other services to, the company.

Balance outstanding at beginning of the year 

Granted during year 

Exercised during year 

Lapsed during year 

Options outstanding at end of the year 

Options exercisable at the end of the year 

31 December 2019 

31 December 2018

Number of  
options  

7,098,823 

335,000 

(302,597) 

(41,000) 

7,090,226 

6,455,226 

Weighted  
average  
exercise price 

£0.075 

£0.010 

£0.023 

£1.066 

£0.068 

£0.068 

Number of 
options 

6,748,823 

350,000 

— 

— 

7,098,823 

6,585,823 

Weighted  
average  

exercise price

£0.062

£0.334

—

—

£0.075

£0.035

Modification of existing share option schemes
During May and June 2017, modifications were made to the Old Schemes by issuing replacement options in the 
New Schemes to participants in the Old Schemes and new awards were subsequently made to individuals under 
the New Schemes.

Options over 741,000 shares granted under the Old EMI Scheme and over 103,000 shares granted under the Old 
Unapproved Scheme were unchanged. The remaining options over 7,004,000 shares issued under the Old Schemes 
were modified so that, to exercise, the holders of such options now have the right to subscribe instead for an aggregate 
of 5,235,518 shares in the company. The number of such options and the exercise price of such options were determined 
by reference to the closing fair value of the ordinary shares on the day of modification. The modification of these options 
as described had a neutral effect on the option holders immediately before and after the amendment of the options.

After adjusting for the bonus issue on 23 January 2017, 7,848,000 share options had been issued prior to the 
modification at adjusted weighted average exercise prices of between £0.2484 and £1.4522.

The estimated fair value of all share options at the modification date was calculated by applying a Black-Scholes option 
pricing model. In the absence of a liquid market for the share capital of the company, the expected volatility of its share 
price is difficult to calculate. Therefore, the Directors considered the expected volatility used by listed entities in similar 
operating environments to calculate the expected volatility. The resulting incremental fair value was £nil.

Grants of options 
On 4 June 2019, 135,000 Employee LTIP Options were granted to certain senior employees at an exercise price of £0.01 
per ordinary share and 200,000 Employee LTIP Options were granted to Neil Clark at an exercise price of £0.01 per 
ordinary share. These options are exercisable on or after the third anniversary of the date of grant.

The estimated fair value of share options granted during the period has been calculated by applying a Black-Scholes 
option pricing model. In the absence of a liquid market for the share capital of the company, the expected volatility of its 
share price is difficult to calculate. Therefore, the Directors have considered the expected volatility used by listed entities 
in similar operating environments to calculate the expected volatility. The weighted average fair value of options granted 
in the period was £0.78 (2018: £0.68).

The model inputs were: 

Share price 

Exercise price 

Expected volatility 

Expected option life 

Risk-free rate 

Expected dividends 

2019 

2018

£0.785 

£0.765/£1.115

£0.01 

£0.01/£0.765

49% 

49%

10 years 

10 years

0.92% 

1.5%/1.55%

£nil 

£nil

49

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notes to the financial statements continued
For the year ended 31 December 2019

14. Trade and other payables

Trade payables   

Social security and other taxes 

Accrued expenses 

Pension contributions payable 

31 December  
2019 
£ 

31 December  
2018  

£

513,508 

45,761 

234,729 

4,141 

798,139 

403,552

50,874

344,275

3,091

801,792

15. Financial instruments – risk management
The company is exposed through its operations to credit risk, liquidity risk and foreign exchange risk. In common with 
all other businesses, the company is exposed to risks that arise from its use of financial instruments. This note describes 
the Directors’ objectives, policies and processes for managing those risks and the methods used to measure them. 
Further quantitative information in respect of these risks is presented throughout these financial statements.

Financial instruments
Categories of financial instruments

Financial assets measured at amortised cost 

– Cash 

– Other financial assets 

– Other receivables  

Financial liabilities 

31 December  
2019 
£ 

31 December  
2018  

£

7,479,641 

7,060,821

— 

5,000,000

72,119 

89,615

– Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost 

748,237 

747,827

Credit risk
The company’s credit risk arises from cash and cash equivalents with banks and financial institutions. For banks and 
financial institutions, only independently rated parties with minimum rating A-/A3 or equivalent are accepted.

Liquidity risk
Liquidity risk arises from the Directors’ management of working capital and is the risk that the company will encounter 
difficulty in meeting its financial obligations as they fall due. Further details on the going concern basis of preparation 
are provided in note 1.

50

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Foreign exchange risk
Foreign exchange risk arises when the company enters into transactions denominated in a currency other than its 
functional currency. The main trading currencies of the company are pounds sterling, the US dollar and the euro. 
The exposure to foreign exchange is monitored by the company’s finance function and exposures are generally managed 
through hedging via the currency denomination of cash and any realised impact currently is not material to the company.  

The company’s exposure to foreign currency risk at 31 December 2019 and 31 December 2018 was as follows:

31 December 2019 

Cash and cash equivalents 

Trade and other payables 

Net exposure  

31 December 2018  

Cash and cash equivalents 

Trade and other payables 

Net exposure 

Sterling 
£ 

6,460,328 

US dollar 
£ 

674,559 

Euros 
£ 

Total 
£

344,754 

7,479,641

(655,191) 

(29,449) 

(113,499) 

(798,139)

5,805,137 

645,110 

231,255 

6,681,502

Sterling 
£ 

11,123,132 

US dollar 
£ 

937,042 

Euros 
£ 

647 

Total 
£

12,060,821

(764,133) 

(36,869) 

(790) 

(801,792)

10,358,999 

900,173 

(143) 

11,259,029

The following table considers the impact of a change to the pounds sterling/euro and US dollar exchange rates of +/– 
10% at 31 December 2019 and 31 December 2018, assuming all other variables, in particular other exchange rates and 
interest rates, remain constant. If these changes were to occur, the figures in the table below reflect the impact on loss 
before tax. This calculation assumes that the change occurred at the balance sheet date and had been applied to risk 
exposures existing at that date.

10% increase in US dollar 

10% decrease in US dollar 

10% increase in euro 

10% decrease in euro 

31 December 
2019 
£ 

31 December 
2018 
£

(60,114) 

60,114 

(22,480) 

22,480 

(81,834)

81,834

13

(13)

16. Capital risk management
The Directors’ objectives when managing capital are to safeguard the company’s ability to continue as a going concern 
in order to provide returns for shareholders and benefits for other stakeholders, and to maintain an optimal capital 
structure to reduce the cost of capital. At the date of these financial statements, the company had been financed from 
shareholders. In the future, the capital structure of the company is expected to consist of equity attributable to equity 
holders of the company, comprising issued share capital and reserves.

The company is not subject to any externally imposed capital requirements.

17. Ultimate controlling party
As no shareholder owns in excess of 50% of the total share capital of the company, the Directors consider there to be no 
ultimate controlling party.

51

Strategic reportGovernanceFinancial statementsDestiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
IPO
Initial public offering

London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange plc

OIE
Office Internationale des 
Epizooties, also known as 
the World Organisation 
for Animal Health

LTIP
Long-term incentive plan

ONS
Office for National Statistics

LTIP EMI Options 
The EMI approved options 
granted pursuant to the 
Employee LTIP Scheme

Ordinary shares
The ordinary shares of 
£0.01 each in the capital of 
the company

LTIP (NTA) Employee 
Options
The non-tax advantaged 
options granted pursuant to 
the Employee LTIP Scheme

The QCA Code
The Quoted Companies  
Alliance Code of Corporate 
Governance

MRSA
Methicillin-resistant 
Staphylococcus aureus

MSSA
Methicillin-sensitive 
Staphylococcus aureus

NHS
National Health Service

NIAID 
National Institute of Allergy 
and Infectious Diseases 

NICE
National Institute for Health 
and Care Excellence

OECD
The Organisation for 
Economic Co-operation 
and Development, 
an intergovernmental 
economic organisation 
with 35 member countries

QIDP
Qualifying Infectious 
Disease Product status 
granted by the FDA

R&D
Research and development

SHEA
Society for Hospital 
Epidemiologists of America

SIS 
Surgical Infection Society

UD 
Universal Decolonisation 

UN
United Nations

WHO
World Health Organization

XF-70
A molecule from the XF 
drug platform, distinct from 
XF-73

XF-73
Exeporfinium chloride

Glossary

AIM
The market of that name 
operated by the London 
Stock Exchange

AMR
Antimicrobial resistance

ASHP
American Society of 
Hospital Pharmacists

Carb-X
A biopharmaceutical 
accelerator created as a 
partnership between a 
number of governmental 
and non-governmental 
organisations, to spur 
product development  
in the anti-bacterial field

G20
The G20 is an international 
forum for the governments 
and central bank governors 
which includes the EU and 
19 other countries

GAAP
UK Generally Accepted 
Accounting Practice as 
published by the FRC, 
applicable for periods prior 
to 1 January 2015

GAIN
Generating Antibiotics 
Incentives Now

GAMRIF
The Global Antimicrobial 
Resistance Innovation Fund

CDC
Centers for Disease Control

GBP
Pounds sterling

CMS
China Medical System 
Holdings Limited

HMRC
Her Majesty’s Revenue  
and Customs

The company
Destiny Pharma plc

ICU
Intensive care unit

EMI
Enterprise Management 
Incentive

IDSA
Infectious Disease Society 
of America

Employee LTIP Scheme
The LTIP (EMI and non-tax 
advantaged (non-EMI)) 
share options scheme 
adopted by the company 
on 18 April 2017 for the 
benefit of Directors and 
employees

EU
The European Union

FAO
The Food and Agriculture 
Organization of the  
United States

FDA
US Food and Drug 
Administration 

IFRS
International Financial 
Reporting Standards 
(including International 
Accounting Standards)

IMI
The Innovative Medicines 
Initiative

IND
Investigational new drug 
– a temporary exemption 
from the FDA’s requirement 
that a drug be the subject 
of an approved marketing 
application before being 
shipped across state lines

52

Destiny Pharma plc  Annual Report and Financial Statements 2019Corporate information

Registered office
Destiny Pharma plc 
Unit 36 Sussex Innovation Centre 
Science Park Square  
Falmer  
Brighton BN1 9SB

Company number 
03167025

Website 
www.destinypharma.com

Company Secretary
Shaun Claydon

Nominated adviser 
and joint broker
FinnCap Limited 
60 New Broad Street  
London EC2M 1JJ

Joint broker
WG Partners
85 Gresham Street 
London EC2V 7NQ

Solicitor
Irwin Mitchell LLP 
40 Holborn Viaduct  
London EC1N 2PZ

Registrar
Link Market Services Limited 
The Registry  
34 Beckenham Road 
Beckenham  
Kent BR3 4TU

Auditor
Crowe U.K. LLP 
St Bride’s House  
10 Salisbury Square  
London EC4Y 8EH

Public relations
FTI Consulting 
200 Aldersgate  
Aldersgate Street  
London EC1A 4HD

Imagery throughout
Cover 

Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

Page 7 

IFC 

Page 3 

Page 6 

Streptococcus

Novel Coronavirus (2019‑nCoV),  
Flu or SARS virus

Pages 10 and 11 

Bacterium Enterobacteriaceae 
 Acinetobacter baumannii

Page 13 

Page 18 

Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) 
 Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

Pages 8 and 9 

Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

Enterobacteriaceae

Enterobacteriaceae

Bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii 
Staphylococcus

Printed by Pureprint Group, a CarbonNeutral®Company, on Image Indigo FSC®certified paper. 
Both the printer and the paper mill are ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 accredited.

Designed and produced by 

www.lyonsbennett.com

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Destiny Pharma plc
Sussex Innovation Centre
Science Park Square
Falmer 
Brighton BN1 9SB

www.destinypharma.com

Follow us on Twitter
@DestinyPharma