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NuCana PLC (NCNA)



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Upturn Advisory Summary
09/16/2025: NCNA (1-star) is currently NOT-A-BUY. Pass it for now.
1 Year Target Price $104
1 Year Target Price $104
0 | Strong Buy |
0 | Buy |
1 | Hold |
0 | Sell |
0 | Strong Sell |
Analysis of Past Performance
Type Stock | Historic Profit -37.7% | Avg. Invested days 19 | 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 8.59M USD | Price to earnings Ratio - | 1Y Target Price 104 |
Price to earnings Ratio - | 1Y Target Price 104 | ||
Volume (30-day avg) 1 | Beta 1.39 | 52 Weeks Range 2.78 - 816.00 | Updated Date 09/16/2025 |
52 Weeks Range 2.78 - 816.00 | Updated Date 09/16/2025 | ||
Dividends yield (FY) - | Basic EPS (TTM) -1762.41 |
Earnings Date
Report Date 2025-08-20 | When - | Estimate -13 | Actual -23.31 |
Profitability
Profit Margin - | Operating Margin (TTM) - |
Management Effectiveness
Return on Assets (TTM) -71.53% | Return on Equity (TTM) -567.79% |
Valuation
Trailing PE - | Forward PE - | Enterprise Value -3887552 | Price to Sales(TTM) - |
Enterprise Value -3887552 | Price to Sales(TTM) - | ||
Enterprise Value to Revenue - | Enterprise Value to EBITDA 0.3 | Shares Outstanding 1908080 | Shares Floating 9539268049 |
Shares Outstanding 1908080 | Shares Floating 9539268049 | ||
Percent Insiders - | Percent Institutions 0.24 |
Upturn AI SWOT
NuCana PLC

Company Overview
History and Background
NuCana PLC, founded in 1997, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on improving treatment outcomes for patients with cancer by applying its ProTide technology to transform some of the most widely prescribed chemotherapy agents, overcoming key resistance mechanisms and creating more effective, better tolerated medicines.
Core Business Areas
- ProTide Technology Platform: NuCana's core technology is its ProTide platform, designed to overcome key cancer resistance mechanisms and generate more effective chemotherapy agents.
- Clinical Development: The company focuses on the clinical development of its ProTide transformations of established chemotherapy drugs, aiming to improve efficacy and reduce toxicity.
Leadership and Structure
NuCana's leadership team consists of experienced executives in the biopharmaceutical industry. The organizational structure includes research and development, clinical operations, and commercialization teams.
Top Products and Market Share
Key Offerings
- Acelarin (NUC-1031): Acelarin is a ProTide transformation of gemcitabine, designed to overcome key mechanisms of cancer resistance to gemcitabine. It is being developed for various solid tumors. Market share data is not readily available; the company competes with generic gemcitabine and other chemotherapeutic agents. Competitors: Eli Lilly (Gemzar), Teva Pharmaceuticals (Generic Gemcitabine).
- NUC-3373: NUC-3373 is a ProTide transformation of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Currently in clinical development. Market share data not readily available, competes with generic 5-FU and other chemotherapeutic agents. Competitors: Roche (5-FU), Mylan (Generic 5-FU).
Market Dynamics
Industry Overview
The biopharmaceutical industry is characterized by intense competition, high regulatory hurdles, and significant R&D investment. The oncology segment is driven by the increasing prevalence of cancer and the demand for more effective and less toxic treatments.
Positioning
NuCana positions itself as an innovator in cancer therapeutics, using its ProTide technology to develop improved versions of established chemotherapy drugs. Its competitive advantage lies in its ability to overcome resistance mechanisms and potentially improve patient outcomes.
Total Addressable Market (TAM)
The TAM for cancer therapeutics is substantial and growing, estimated to be hundreds of billions of dollars annually. NuCana's positioning focuses on capturing a portion of this market through its novel ProTide-based therapies.
Upturn SWOT Analysis
Strengths
- Proprietary ProTide technology platform
- Potential to improve efficacy and reduce toxicity of established chemotherapy drugs
- Clinical-stage pipeline with multiple product candidates
- Experienced management team
Weaknesses
- Reliance on clinical trial success
- Significant R&D expenses
- Limited commercial infrastructure
- Dependence on securing additional funding
Opportunities
- Partnerships with larger pharmaceutical companies
- Expansion of ProTide platform to other therapeutic areas
- Positive clinical trial results leading to regulatory approvals
- Growing demand for more effective cancer treatments
Threats
- Competition from established pharmaceutical companies
- Failure of clinical trials
- Regulatory hurdles and delays
- Generic competition
Competitors and Market Share
Key Competitors
- Eli Lilly (LLY)
- Roche (RHHBY)
- Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (TEVA)
Competitive Landscape
NuCana faces competition from established pharmaceutical companies with larger resources and broader product portfolios. Its ProTide technology offers a potential advantage, but it must demonstrate clinical superiority to gain market share.
Growth Trajectory and Initiatives
Historical Growth: Historical growth has been dependent on raising capital and advancing clinical trials.
Future Projections: Future growth projections are highly dependent on clinical trial outcomes and regulatory approvals.
Recent Initiatives: Recent initiatives include advancing Acelarin and NUC-3373 through clinical trials and exploring potential partnerships.
Summary
NuCana PLC is a biopharmaceutical company employing its ProTide technology to improve chemotherapy treatments. While the ProTide technology holds promise, the company's financial health relies heavily on successful clinical trial outcomes. The company needs to seek partnerships to offset costs and leverage resources to establish a market presence. Clinical trial results and regulatory approval are critical for its future success.
Peer Comparison
Sources and Disclaimers
Data Sources:
- NuCana PLC company website
- SEC filings
- Industry reports
- Analyst reports
Disclaimers:
This analysis is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. Market share data is estimated and may not be precise. The AI-based rating is generated based on available information and should be considered alongside other sources of information.
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 is developing medicines to overcome the limitations of nucleoside analogs and generate 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 1 modular clinical trial for patients with advanced solid tumors and lung cancer. The company 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 based in Edinburgh, the United Kingdom.

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