THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF ARTICLE 7 OF REGULATION 2014/596/EU, WHICH IS PART OF UNITED KINGDOM DOMESTIC LAW PURSUANT TO THE MARKET ABUSE (AMENDMENT) (EU EXIT) REGULATIONS (SI 2019/310) ("UK MAR"). UPON THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, THIS INSIDE INFORMATION (AS DEFINED IN UK MAR) IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
24 November 2025
ANANDA PHARMA PLC
("Ananda" or the "Company")
Notice of General Meeting and proposed withdrawal from the AQSE Growth Market
Ananda Pharma plc (AQSE: ANA, OTCQB: ANANF), a UK-based biopharmaceutical company developing regulatory approved, cannabidiol medicines to treat complex, chronic conditions, announces that it has that it has today published a circular to shareholders (the "Circular") including a notice of general meeting (the "General Meeting") in connection with the proposed withdrawal of admission of the Company's ordinary shares of £0.002 each ("Ordinary Shares") to trading on the AQSE Growth Market pursuant to Rule 5.3 of the AQSE Growth Market Rulebook, together with proposals to re-register the Company as a private limited company, adopt new articles of association and change its name to Ananda Pharma Limited (together, the "Proposals").
Subject to shareholder approval of the relevant resolutions set out in the Circular (the "Resolutions"), the General Meeting will be held at 11.00 a.m. on 12 December 2025 at the offices of Arch Law, Bishopsgate, 8 Bishopsgate, London, EC2N 4BQ.
A copy of the Circular, which contains full details of the background, reasons and effects of the Proposals, and the accompanying form of proxy, has been posted to shareholders and is available on the Company's investor website https://investors.anandapharma.co.uk/publications.
Any capitalised terms not defined in this announcement shall have the same meaning as those defined in the Circular.
Rationale for the Proposals
Following an extensive review, the Board has concluded that maintaining the Company's admission to trading on the AQSE Growth Market is not in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders at this time. In reaching this conclusion, the Board considered, among other matters, the ongoing costs and regulatory burden of remaining admitted to trading, the limited liquidity in the Company's Ordinary Shares and associated share price volatility, and the Board's view that as a private company the Company will be better placed to access appropriately structured, specialist life sciences capital to support its clinical development programmes. The Board believes that the time and cost savings arising from the Proposals can be redeployed to core research and development activities, thereby better supporting the Company's strategy.
Executive Chairman's statement:
"As you know I have funded Ananda with more than £10m over the past 8 years. Despite our best efforts we have not managed to gain the funding support of the public markets, so we intend to delist the Company while we progress MRX1 development and our clinical trials. This move will save Ananda around £500,000 per annum. We will maintain quarterly communications with shareholders and offer, wherever possible, the opportunity to current shareholders to fund the business on the same terms as I will fund the company in the future.
Our next milestones are receipt of the full readout from the Phase 1 pharmacokinetic study and commencement of the two Phase 2 placebo controlled clinical trials in endometriosis and Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN). These are expected to commence in Quarter 1 2026 and we look forward to keeping shareholders updated as we progress.
To be clear, we will continue to operate on the current strategy. The Company is changing its listing status and being re-registered as a private limited company. Further information regarding the delisting is set out in the letter from the Board.
I would like to thank those of you who have invested in Ananda to date. We will be doing our utmost to get you a return.
If any shareholder has a question about this meeting and decision, please ask it here (https://investors.anandapharma.co.uk/link/ejYBmy) and we will respond as soon as possible."
Expected timetable of principal events
| Publication and posting of this Circular |
24 November 2025 |
| Latest time and date for receipt of proxy appointments in respect of the General Meeting |
10 December 2025 |
| General Meeting |
12 December 2025 |
| Last day of dealings in Ordinary Shares on the AQSE Growth Market should the Resolutions be approved |
21 December 2025 |
| Cancellation of admission of the Ordinary Shares to trading on the AQSE Growth Market should the Resolutions be approved |
8.00 a.m. on 22 December 2025 |
|
Expected re-registration as a private company effective should the Resolutions be approved |
before the end of January 2026 |
For the purposes of UK MAR, the person responsible for arranging release of this Announcement on behalf of the Company is Melissa Sturgess, Chief Executive Officer.
About Ananda Pharma
Ananda Pharma (AQSE: ANA) is a UK-based biopharmaceutical company developing regulatory approved, cannabidiol medicines to treat complex, chronic conditions, including endometriosis (funded by NHS Scotland) and chemotherapy pain (funded by NIHR). The Company is led by successful entrepreneurs and is working with a team of world-class scientists, including globally respected Key Opinion Leaders at the University of Edinburgh.
For more information, please visit our website:
To stay up to date with Ananda's news please follow our social media channels:
· Investor Hub: https://investors.anandapharma.co.uk/s/ea8f93
· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anandapharmaplc/
· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/anandapharma
· X: https://twitter.com/AnandaPlc
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| ANANDA PHARMA PLC |
+44 (0)7463 686 497 |
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| Chief Executive Officer |
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| Melissa Sturgess |
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| Finance Director |
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| Jeremy Sturgess-Smith |
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| SP ANGEL CORPORATE FINANCE LLP |
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| Corporate Finance |
+44 (0)20 3470 0470 |
| Richard Morrison |
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| Josh Ray |
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| Corporate Broking |
+44 (0)20 3470 0534 |
| Vadim Alexandre |
Vadim [email protected] |
| Abigail Wayne |
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| Rob Rees |