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NuCana PLC (NCNA)



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Upturn Advisory Summary
04/01/2025: NCNA (1-star) is currently NOT-A-BUY. Pass it for now.
Analysis of Past Performance
Type Stock | Historic Profit 7.05% | Avg. Invested days 32 | Today’s Advisory PASS |
Upturn Star Rating ![]() ![]() | Upturn Advisory Performance ![]() | Stock Returns Performance ![]() |
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Key Highlights
Company Size Small-Cap Stock | Market Capitalization 7.78M USD | Price to earnings Ratio - | 1Y Target Price 104 |
Price to earnings Ratio - | 1Y Target Price 104 | ||
Volume (30-day avg) 94437 | Beta 0.9 | 52 Weeks Range 0.69 - 10.79 | Updated Date 04/1/2025 |
52 Weeks Range 0.69 - 10.79 | Updated Date 04/1/2025 | ||
Dividends yield (FY) - | Basic EPS (TTM) -8.41 |
Earnings Date
Report Date 2025-03-18 | When Before Market | Estimate -2.2 | Actual -0.3243 |
Profitability
Profit Margin - | Operating Margin (TTM) - |
Management Effectiveness
Return on Assets (TTM) -67.48% | Return on Equity (TTM) -182.3% |
Valuation
Trailing PE - | Forward PE - | Enterprise Value -3220415 | Price to Sales(TTM) - |
Enterprise Value -3220415 | Price to Sales(TTM) - | ||
Enterprise Value to Revenue - | Enterprise Value to EBITDA 0.3 | Shares Outstanding 6056960 | Shares Floating 132926077 |
Shares Outstanding 6056960 | Shares Floating 132926077 | ||
Percent Insiders 0.21 | Percent Institutions 11.72 |
Analyst Ratings
Rating 3.67 | Target Price 64.5 | Buy - | Strong Buy 1 |
Buy - | Strong Buy 1 | ||
Hold 2 | Sell - | Strong Sell - | |
Strong Sell - |
Upturn AI SWOT
NuCana PLC

Company Overview
History and Background
NuCana PLC, founded in 2008, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing precision medicines that aim to overcome resistance mechanisms in cancer. It has evolved from focusing on ProTide technology to developing novel cancer therapies.
Core Business Areas
- ProTide Technology: NuCana's ProTide technology modifies existing nucleoside analogs, making them more effective at targeting cancer cells. This technology serves as the base for creating more effective cancer treatments.
Leadership and Structure
Hugh S. Griffith serves as the Chief Executive Officer. The company has a board of directors that provides strategic oversight. The organizational structure includes departments for research and development, clinical operations, regulatory affairs, and finance.
Top Products and Market Share
Key Offerings
- Acelarin: Acelarin is NuCana's lead product candidate, a ProTide transformation of gemcitabine for the treatment of various solid tumors, including ovarian cancer. Acelarin is not yet approved, but it is in clinical trials. Competitors include generic gemcitabine and other chemotherapy regimens, such as platinum-based therapies and taxanes.
- NUC-1031: NUC-1031 (also known as ProTide prodrug of gemcitabine) is a formulation of gemcitabine which is expected to generate high intracellular concentrations of the active anti-cancer metabolite of gemcitabine. The competitive field is the same as for Acelarin.
Market Dynamics
Industry Overview
The oncology market is a large and competitive field, driven by the increasing prevalence of cancer and the need for more effective and targeted treatments. There is a high demand for new innovative approaches in cancer treatment. This market has many different established organizations.
Positioning
NuCana PLC is positioned as a developer of next-generation cancer therapies using its ProTide technology to improve the efficacy and overcome resistance to existing treatments. Its competitive advantage lies in potentially providing better outcomes than current chemotherapies with reduced side effects.
Total Addressable Market (TAM)
The TAM for cancer therapeutics is estimated to be hundreds of billions of dollars. NuCana is positioned to capture a portion of this market with successful development and commercialization of its ProTide therapies. Actual figures are difficult to pinpoint.
Upturn SWOT Analysis
Strengths
- Novel ProTide Technology
- Potential for improved efficacy and reduced toxicity compared to existing treatments
- Experienced management team
- Strong intellectual property portfolio
Weaknesses
- Reliance on a single technology platform
- Clinical trial risks and uncertainty of regulatory approval
- Limited commercialization experience
- Need for additional funding
Opportunities
- Partnerships with larger pharmaceutical companies
- Expansion of ProTide technology to other therapeutic areas
- Potential for orphan drug designation for certain cancers
- Positive clinical trial results driving investor interest
Threats
- Competition from established pharmaceutical companies with greater resources
- Failure to obtain regulatory approval for product candidates
- Generic competition if patents are not adequately protected
- Changes in reimbursement policies impacting pricing
Competitors and Market Share
Key Competitors
- LLY
- MRK
- BMY
- AZN
- GILD
Competitive Landscape
NuCana faces stiff competition from well-established pharmaceutical companies with significant resources and diverse product portfolios. Its competitive advantage lies in its ProTide technology platform. The disadvantage lies with limited funding.
Major Acquisitions
Growth Trajectory and Initiatives
Historical Growth: NuCana's historical growth is primarily focused on advancing its product candidates through clinical trials.
Future Projections: Future growth depends on the successful development and commercialization of its ProTide therapies. Analyst estimates should be sourced from financial data providers. These figures cannot be provided without pulling from live stock APIs.
Recent Initiatives: Recent initiatives include advancing clinical trials for Acelarin, NUC-1031 and seeking potential partnerships to expand development and commercialization efforts.
Summary
NuCana PLC is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a novel ProTide technology, offering potential advantages in cancer treatment. Its future success depends on successful clinical trial outcomes and regulatory approvals. The company must compete with larger, more established firms and effectively manage its finances. Their biggest challenge will be getting approval for new medicine to generate revenue and profits.
Similar Companies
- LLY
- MRK
- BMY
- AZN
- GILD
Sources and Disclaimers
Data Sources:
- NuCana PLC's website
- SEC filings
- Company presentations
- Industry reports
Disclaimers:
This analysis is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Investment decisions should be based on thorough research and consultation with a qualified financial advisor. Market share data are estimates.
AI Summarization is directionally correct and might not be accurate.
Summarized information shown could be a few years old and not current.
Fundamental Rating based on AI could be based on old data.
AI-generated summaries may have inaccuracies (hallucinations). Please verify the information before taking action.
About NuCana PLC
Exchange NASDAQ | Headquaters - | ||
IPO Launch date 2017-09-28 | Founder, CEO & Executive Director Mr. Hugh Stephen Griffith | ||
Sector Healthcare | Industry Biotechnology | Full time employees 20 | Website https://www.nucana.com |
Full time employees 20 | Website https://www.nucana.com |
NuCana plc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development of medicines to treat patients with cancer. It applies its ProTide technology to transform prescribed chemotherapy agents and nucleoside analogs into medicines. The company, through its technology, is developing ProTides medicines to overcome the limitations of nucleoside analogs and generate much higher concentrations of anti-cancer metabolites in cancer cells. Its pipeline includes NUC-3373, a chemical entity derived from the nucleoside analog 5-fluorouracil that is in Phase 1b/2 study in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, Phase 2 clinical trial for the second-line treatment of patients with advanced colorectal cancer, and Phase 1b/2 modular clinical trial for patients with advanced solid tumors and lung cancer. It is also developing NUC-7738, a ProTide transformation of 3'-deoxyadenosine, which is in the Phase 2 part of a Phase 1/2 clinical trial for patients with advanced solid tumors. The company has an assignment, license, and collaboration agreement with Cardiff ProTides Ltd to discover, drug design, and in vitro screen purine and pyrimidine-based nucleosides as potential drug candidates. The company was formerly known as NuCana BioMed Limited and changed its name to NuCana plc in August 2017. NuCana plc was incorporated in 1997 and is headquartered in Edinburgh, the United Kingdom.
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