Raising capital a year from now is a better option than doing it a month from now (as part of a partnership transaction) because it’s reasonable to assume the share price will be higher in a year.
>…assuming [GTC] splits the cost of research/clinical trials with a partner…<
If the up-front cash at the time of the partnership announcement is small, the partner may be willing to fund 100% of the cost of the US phase-3 trial in DIC. Further, as mentioned in an earlier post, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a US-based phase-2 trial in DIC to supplement what Leo is doing outside the US. This, too, could be funded by the US partner.
As you said, there are many permutations to consider and there are numerous ways a partner can provide financial assistance other than by handing over cash at the deal signing.