Transcript
Speaker: Hello and welcome to this Edison TV interview with Harley Atkinson, founder and CEO of AFT Pharmaceuticals. Welcome, Harley. Thank you. So to kick off, for those less familiar with the company, could we start with a very basic overview of the business model and the growth strategy? Yeah, look, we're Australasian based, but globally focused. We're capital-like, we undertake our own R&D as well. We in-licence a lot of products and we're primarily focused on R&D, getting good value for money and spending it on that, and then also sales and marketing. So that's really our key focus.
Speaker: Fantastic. So Maxi G6 has been the flagship product for the company. What do you see as the growth potential there for that franchise? Yeah, look, we're selling in about 87 countries around the world, but we do still have agreements in well over 100. Like, for example, last week we just did another deal in Japan with Maxegesic IV. So there's still lots of potential potential, especially for the IV formulation, to expand the sales globally. And really, that's what we're focusing on. There's additional line extensions as well. So all of that helps to add to the existing franchise and the sales as well. Excellent.
Speaker: And then one of the key distinguishing features for AFT is the combination of the profitable commercial business alongside the R&D pipeline as well. So looking at that R&D pipeline, can you tell us some of the most exciting programs you see there? Yeah, look, that's something I think sometimes the market struggles maybe to grasp. um We have about eight R&D patented projects underway. We've got some really interesting projects. We have a novel injectable iron formulation, which is very well tolerated, can be dosed once only without having to come back for another dose. you know So that's a pretty exciting project and and like a large, up to $7.4 billion dollars market it's going to grow to in the next few years. But yeah honestly, like I say, we have we have eight projects and that's just one of them. So we do have some really good upside, provided those projects work. Okay, perfect. And then looking at international expansion being a key goal, could you tell us how you choose between keeping programs internal versus using partners? Yeah, look, originally we originated Australia and New Zealand. But what we've done is we've targeted essentially markets with the old Anglo-Saxon British legal and regulatory system. So we also have office in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, which is still running mainly under the British system. And then also South Africa, then Canada and also the UK have small satellite office in the United States and small satellite office in Ireland that helps to cover Europe as well. So very much focused on those countries, not looking to expand anywhere else outside that. And in those other markets, we use distributors or licensees, which seems to in general work pretty well. Okay. And then before we wrap up today, we always like to ask, what are the key catalysts and milestones investors should watch out for across the next 12 18 months?
Speaker: Yeah, look, it's advancing our R&D pipeline with those eight patented products. There's a lot of upside in those, so that's a key part. And then also sort of expanding some of our new affiliates, South Africa, Canada, the UK, where a lot of launches. But also, last but not least, is the United States. We have currently done our first launch in the US. Still early days, but obviously it's the world's biggest pharma market. and So if it goes well, it really does have a game-changing potential for our overall business. Perfect. Well, look, thank you very much for the insightful discussion today. we look forward to following the progress. Good. Thank you very much.
