Investor FAQs

We have not changed our IR/PR service provider, Optimum Strategic Healthcare are appointed and will continue to provide IR/PR services.  Brighter IR is the new provider we use to feed share price information to our website and to provide the news alert service which enables users who are registered with their service to receive alerts when regulatory news is released to the Futura website.

With the introduction of GDPR, Brighter IR requires your permission to use your personal information to contact you and this is done via their registration.  Please note that once registered, you will begin to receive news alerts via email.  You do not need to log into the Brighter IR portal to access the press releases, they are available on our website through the automated feed.  The Brighter IR portal is to allow you to amend or delete the permissions you have given to them to access your personal information and to contact you via the alert service.

In March 2020, Futura announced that it had received official minutes from the US FDA for MED3000, following its 4th Pre-Submission Meeting that signified an agreement between the FDA and Futura on the detailed clinical study design (protocol) for the small confirmatory clinical study, FM71. Detailed planning for the commencement of FM71 has now begun with first patient dosing expected H2 2021.

FM71 is designed to provide supplementary efficacy data to the previously reported FM57 study with a “least burdensome” approach and modest cost, in the region of £2 mil compared to £8 mil for FM57.

DermaSys^® is a proprietary transdermal technology platform with very strong IP offering a high level of product differentiation compared to existing marketed treatments. Each new unique formulation offers the opportunity for additional patent applications and potential patent protection. 

MED3000 is the codename for a formulation of DermaSys^® developed specifically for the treatment of ED. MED3000 is a unique formulation of DermaSys^® using volatile and non-volatile components tailored for the treatment of ED.

MED3000 is a topical gel applied directly to the head (glans) of the penis for the treatment of ED.

MED3000 works through a unique evaporative mode of action.  MED3000’s combination of volatile components creates a novel cooling and recovery warming  action that stimulates nerve sensors in the highly innervated glans penis, rapidly leading to smooth muscle relaxation, tumescence and erection.

A medical device is described within the EU as a product which does not achieve its principal intended action on the human body by pharmacological, immunological or metabolic means.

Registration of MED3000 as a medical device is endorsed by both EU and US regulatory authorities. and is potentially a fast track and lower cost route to market. On Friday 30^th April the Company announced that it has now received its MDR EU Quality Management Certificate for the placing on the market of a Class II(b) medical device known as MED3000 (“CE mark approval as a Class II(b) Medical Device, the product can have unrestricted sale (“OTC”)”).

The Company is filing for approval in USA as a De Novo medical device in 2022. As the drug-free formulation is regarded as low risk, free sale (OTC) designation is anticipated.

On Friday 30th April the Company announced that it has now received its MDR EU Quality Management Certificate for the placing on the market of a Class II(b) medical device known as MED3000 (“CE mark approval”).

The approval of MED3000 from the EU Notified Body paves the way for rapid approval in many countries around the world, including in the Middle East, Africa, the Far East Latin American regions which allow “fast-track” review based on recognition of the EU CE mark. Due to post-Brexit arrangements, the EU CE mark can be used to market the product in Great Britain until 30 June 2023 by which time a specific UKCA mark has to be obtained. This will be a streamlined process since it is understood the UK application can bridge to the EU approval.

Futura has retained specialist corporate advisers to assist the company in the appointment of world-wide distribution partners. Once appointed all marketing and marketing aspects of MED3000 including launch will be handled by them. Futura's breakthrough, topical gel formulation MED3000 will become the first pan-European topical treatment for erectile dysfunction ("ED") available without the need of a doctor's prescription.

MED3000 is currently not available for purchase.

On Friday 30th April the Company announced that it has now received its MDR EU Quality Management Certificate for the placing on the market of a Class II(b) medical device known as MED3000 (“CE mark approval”). The approval of MED3000 from the EU Notified Body paves the way for rapid approval in many countries around the world, including in the Middle East, Africa, the Far East and Latin American regions which allow “fast-track” review based on recognition of the EU CE mark. Due to post-Brexit arrangements, the EU CE mark can be used to market the product in Great Britain until 30 June 2023 by which time a specific UKCA mark has to be obtained. This will be a streamlined process since it is understood the UK application can bridge to the EU approval.

Futura is also in discussions to out-license the marketing and distribution rights of MED3000 for the UK, as well as other countries and once agreed all distribution will be handled by them.

In March 2020, Futura announced that it had received official minutes from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for MED3000, the Company’s breakthrough fast acting clinically proven treatment for erectile dysfunction (“ED”), following its 4th Pre-Submission Meeting on 1st February 2021.

The minutes signify agreement between the FDA and Futura on the detailed clinical study design (protocol) for the small confirmatory clinical study, FM71, to be conducted prior to formal regulatory submission as a De Novo Medical Device. Detailed planning for the commencement of FM71 has now begun with first patient dosing expected H2 2021.  The company currently expects submission for marketing authorisation within the USA to be made during H2 2022 with approval as soon as practicable thereafter.

The approval of MED3000 from the EU Notified Body (as announced on Friday 30^th April) paves the way for rapid approval in many countries around the world, including in the Middle East, Africa, the Far East Latin American and Australia regions which allow “fast-track” review based on recognition of the EU CE mark. Due to post-Brexit arrangements, the EU CE mark can be used to market the product in Great Britain until 30 June 2023 by which time a specific UKCA mark has to be obtained. This will be a streamlined process since it is understood the UK application can bridge to the EU approval. Depending on the country these approvals are likely to take between 6 and 12 months from the time of submission.

Futura has retained specialist corporate advisers to assist the company in the appointment of world-wide distribution partners.  Once appointed all marketing and distribution aspects of MED3000 (including any samples they may choose to provide) will be handled by them.

As mentioned in the March 2021 RNS, the Company confirmed that it had received official minutes from the US FDA, following its 4^th Pre-Submission Meeting on 1^st February 2021.

The minutes signify agreement between the FDA and Futura on the detailed clinical study design (protocol) for the small confirmatory clinical study, FM71, to be conducted prior to formal regulatory submission as a De Novo Medical Device. Detailed planning for the commencement of FM71 has now begun with first patient dosing expected H2 2021.

FM71 is designed to provide supplementary efficacy data to the previously reported FM57 study with a "least burdensome" approach and modest cost. Whilst the overall design is similar to that of the previous large phase 3 FM57 study that recruited approximately 1000 patients, no placebo (sham) cohort is required, hence the study is relatively small in size with approximately 100 patients.

FM71 will be a 6 month (24 weeks) duration study versus FM57 which was conducted over 3 months (12 weeks) to reassure the FDA that the efficacy does not diminish over a longer period of time. It is Futura's belief that this is unlikely as in the FM57 study efficacy improved from the first to third month of patient use. Two co-primary endpoints will measure change from baseline and whether this change is clinically important, both criteria being achieved in FM57 over the 12 week duration of the study Secondary endpoints include an agreed measure of speed of onset, a key differentiating claim, where FM57 showed that 60% of subjects noticed an erection within 10 minutes.

The Company has agreed with the FDA to include tadalafil (the drug substances in Cialis^®) at the lowest approved dose for on-demand use (5mg) for comparative purposes only on safety, speed of onset and efficacy; non-inferiority is not required to be shown.

FM71 is designed as a phase 3, multicentre, comparative, randomised, open-label, home use, parallel group study.  The recruited patients will include those suffering from mild, moderate or severe ED, using either MED3000 or tadalafil 5mg (50 subjects per group) and will include 20 African American patients (from a US medical centre) and 80 patients recruited from Eastern Europe where sites include some of the same centres used in the FM57 study. 

Per the regulatory update on 22^nd March 2021, the Company is pleased to confirm that it has received official minutes from the FDA, following its 4th Pre-Submission Meeting held 1^st February 2021.

The minutes signify agreement between the FDA and Futura on the detailed clinical study design (protocol) for the small confirmatory clinical study, FM71, to be conducted prior to formal regulatory submission as a De Novo Medical Device.

Detailed planning for the commencement of FM71 has now begun with first patient dosing expected H2 2021.

Patients interested in participating will be able to find details in due course on clinicaltrials.gov.

At this time we have not tested the product in patients who have undergone radical prostatectomy although the product has been shown to be effective in mild, moderate and severe ED of mixed causes.

If you have a medical condition you may need to speak to a doctor to discuss your condition to see if the product is suitable for you to use. 

MED3000 will come with a leaflet part of which will cover warning and precautions and recommend users have a check-up with your doctor as soon as possible within the first 6 months of using MED3000 to ensure that any erection problems are not caused by another serious health condition.

We anticipate an initial shelf life of 2 years, extended to 3 years when the company generate longer term data.

Results of the FM57 study can be found here 

In February 2019, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) responded to Thornton & Ross’s marketing authorisation application filed in July 2018, raising a number of questions requiring additional laboratory work specifically around the permeation characteristics of TPR100 to be conducted.  The additional lab work has been completed indicating that absorption of TPR100 is significantly superior to the market leader. These results were discussed with MHRA in a Scientific Advice meeting and it was determined that as there was non-equivalency a clinical study was required. MHRA suggested that the clinical study could be used to support superiority claims for the formulation. FUM are determining how this study could be funded and used to support the product in markets around the world including the US where Voltaren (GSK) have recently achieved OTC designation.

Our transdermal technology DermaSys^® is tailored for each product to suit the specific therapeutic indication and desired speed of onset and duration of action offering improvements over existing products creating novel indications with compelling commercial potential. This means that our products are highly differentiated in their markets whilst avoiding the risks normally associated with the development of new molecules.

The rapid skin permeation rate offered by our transdermal delivery system, DermaSys^®, is ideally suited for targeted topical pain relief. Rapid, targeted and effective skin permeation offers potential benefits in pain management including: improved onset of action, duration and degree of pain relief.

TPR100 does not require a combination of volatile solvent components to stimulate nerve sensors.  It is designed to provide a sustained mode of action suitable for the treatment of pain and is formulated with this objective in mind.

TPR100's current patent protection runs until February 2028 in the USA and Europe.

CBDerma Techology is a company that has been established with backers that have experience in plant derived products. Futura announced a joint venture collaboration with CBDerma Technology Limited in September 2019 to explore the application of Futura’s advanced proprietary transdermal technology, DermaSys^® for the delivery of cannabidiol.

The cosmetic market is already significant with the UK, we understand, over £300 million.  As a topically applied Pharmaceutical the potential is huge but under-explored so far, with currently very little credible scientific research conducted on topical formulations.

DermaSys^® provides rapid and targeted local delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) at therapeutic levels and Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) pharmaceutical excipients onto and through the skin to the required site of action with a high level of safety. It is a versatile and bespoke technology that can be tailored to suit the specific active compound being used and the therapeutic indication. Each product is formulated to maximise its benefits for patients and consumers and can be developed for the prescription and consumer healthcare markets as appropriate.

Our transdermal technology DermaSys^® is tailored for each product to suit the specific therapeutic indication and desired speed of onset and duration of action offering improvements over existing products creating novel indications with compelling commercial potential. This means that our products are highly differentiated in their markets whilst avoiding the risks normally associated with the development of new molecules.

CBD100 comprises a unique combination of penetration enhancers (volatile and non-volatile solvents) and a diffusion enhancer. It is designed to provide highly efficient penetration of cannabidiol into and through the skin with a stability expected to ensure potency is retained during shelf-life.

A patent application was filed in the UK in August 2020.

We would expect to receive an initial search report on the ‘patentability’ of such application within six months.  This will provide details of other patents or application already in existence which may affect the novelty and inventiveness of any new application.  This may result in some amendment to the patent application ahead of a PCT application next July.

We are aiming for CBD100 to be highly differentiated from existing, largely un-regulated, low-tech products in the fast growing cannabidiol market on the basis of quality, stability and efficient delivery to the skin for a number of applications and indications expected to range from cosmeceutical through to pharmaceutical dermal and pain relief treatments. We have now started to explore commercialisation options for CBD100 with CBDerma as stability work continues in parallel.  These options will also be influenced by the regulatory landscape around Cannabis which continues to evolve in the EU and USA.

Unfortunately, under the current regulations, Futura Medical are not able to provide samples.

The maximum payment made by the Company was £4,000.

A new UK patent application was filed in December 2019, which was supplemented with a further UK filing in September 2020. Aside from Futura's current patent lawyers, the Company also consulted a further IP specialist to assist in maximising the robustness of the MED3000 intellectual property.

The UK is one of over 150 contracting countries to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). As is common practice in the securing of patent protection an initial patent is most often in the patent inventor’s domicile, which establishes the priority date of any potential patent in all contracting countries to the PCT.  In October 2020 Futura filed a PCT application which will take over the priority dates and applications for the two MED3000 UK applications. 

The next steps will involve the initial publication of the PCT application in 2021 before proceeding into national phase where Futura will nominate those countries within the PCT were it wishes to apply and hopefully secure patent protection.  If successful it will provide patent protection until 2040 in those nominated countries subject to payment of the applicable maintenance fees.

Futura's unique patented technology DermaSys^® is designed to deliver clinically proven effective medical treatments via the skin.

DermaSys^® is a versatile and bespoke technology. Each product gel is uniquely formulated using the DermaSys^® platform with volatile solvent component formulations tailored for each product to suit the specific therapeutic indication and desired speed of onset and duration of action. Such targeted delivery offers an optimised profile in terms of dose, onset time and duration of effect as well as an improved safety profile reducing the risk of side effects. Each product is formulated to maximise its benefits for patients and consumers. Each new unique formulation offers the opportunity for additional patent applications and potential patent protection.