AFT Pharmaceuticals – executive interview

AFT Pharmaceuticals (NZX: AFT) is a commercial-stage specialty pharma company with strong roots in Australasia, its own salesforce and a growing global presence through licensing and distribution agreements. The product portfolio is a mix of own-branded, generic and in-licensed products across various therapeutic areas, targeting the over-the-counter, hospital and prescription segments. AFT is profitable and dividend distributing, with NZ$200m in revenues expected to be achieved in CY24 and a rolling target of NZ$300m.

The company’s product portfolio includes over 150 products, with category leading positions in the eye care, allergy and pain-relief segments in its domestic market. The impetus in recent years has been on growing its international footprint, spearheaded by its Maxigesic range of products, a proprietary mix of paracetamol and ibuprofen available in different dose forms, which contributes upwards of 20% of AFT’s revenues. Currently sold in over 70 countries, the plan is to reach 100 in the near to medium term. A key development during 2024 was the launch of the IV and rapid formulation of Maxigesic in the crucial US market (under the brand Combogesic IV), which we expect will drive international growth performance in the long term. Despite the broad and profitable product portfolio, AFT continues to focus on building its R&D pipeline and currently has eight programmes under development.

In this interview, we speak to AFT co-founder and CEO, Dr Hartley Atkinson, about the company’s business strategy and key growth drivers as well as some of the exciting developments investors should look forward to in the next 12–18 months.