US biotech IPO market faces key test after record five pricings The currently buoyant US market for biotech new issues faces a key test, after a record five companies priced Nasdaq offerings in a single day. The success of those listings in the immediate after-market is likely to be important gauge of the overall health […]
Arix, Syncona and WPCT look set to reap gains on pending Autolus Nasdaq IPO Three LSE-listed health/biotech venture capital investment firms – Arix Bioscience (ARIX), Syncona (SYNC) and Woodford Patient Capital Trust (WPCT) – should see a nice boost to their NAV if Autolus, the UK-based CAR-T cell company completes its proposed Nasdaq IPO. Autolus is a portfolio company for […]
Second Arix investee plans US IPO Arix Biosciences (ARIX), a LSE-listed life sciences VC investor, could potentially see two of its investee companies go public on the US stockmarkets in the coming weeks, after Iterum Therapeutics disclosed the filing of a Form S-1 registration statement with the US SEC. Iterium’s move comes after another Arix investee company, Autolus – […]
BB Biotech and HBMH will take hit on Esperion side-effect scare BB Biotech (BBB) and HBM Healthcare (HBMH) may have to take a hit on their investments in the US biotech Esperion Therapeutics, which has seen its stock fall by 22% today on the back of results from its second pivotal Phase III study assessing […]
Trust stalwart Regeneron cuts Praluent price Investment trust stalwart Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: REGN) and its partner Sanofi yesterday announced a deal with Express Scripts, under which they will substantially lower the net price of Praluent in exchange for exclusive coverage on the US pharmacy benefit manager’s national formulary. The move deals a blow to rival Amgen, […]
BBH and IBT set to reap rewards on Shire stake London-listed BB Healthcare (BBH) and International Biotech Trust (BIOG) are likely to be the main investment trust beneficiaries of the proposed takeover of Shire Pharmaceuticals by Japan’s Takeda, which was agreed – subject to a number of conditions – last week. Shire’s board agreed to recommend […]
BioPharma Credit leads new $315m loan to Sebela BioPharma Credit (BPCR), the LSE-listed specialist life sciences debt investor, is to act as lead investor and collateral agent for a US$315m term loan to Sebela Pharmaceuticals, a US privately-held commercial-stage speciality pharmaceutical company focused on gastrointestinal, dermatology and women’s healthcare. BioPharma Credit will provide $194m of the loan principal […]
OrbiMed-managed trusts benefit from Alexion’s rise Shares in trust favourite Alexion Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ALXN) put on 12% last week on the back of a strong financial first quarter with upgraded guidance and positive top-line results from a phase III study of ALXN1210, the company’s longer-acting follow-up to its blockbuster Soliris in the ultra-rate disease of […]
IBT tops up Shire and Celgene in March SV Health-managed International Biotech Trust (IBT) recorded a 3.2% fall in NAV in March, slightly under-performing the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index, which was down by 2.9% in sterling terms. The manager reported that the main positive contributors of NAV in the month were Shire Pharmaceuticals, Nektar Therapeutics and […]
Prothena blow-up leaves Woodford Patient Capital reeling Neil Woodford’s controversial and high-profile investment in Prothena (NASDAQ:PRTA) and its development programme for AL Amyloidosis has failed, costing the Woodford Patient Capital Investment Trust (WPCT) an estimated £50m based on the average $40/share acquisition cost of its large shareholding. Prothena’s US-listed stock has fallen by 68% this […]