Biotech and Healthcare News

15 Feb 2018

Trust favourite Biogen hit by AD trial rejig

Trust favourite Biogen hit by AD trial rejig – Shares in Biogen, the neurology-focused US biotech giant and a key holding for many of the sector specialist investment trusts, fell by more than 6% yesterday on heightened concerns over a decision to expand patient enrolment  in its two large Phase III trials of aducanumab for […]

15 Feb 2018
HBM boosts dividend by 20% after stellar year

HBM Healthcare reaps $28m profit on sale of TandemLife stake

HBM Healthcare reaps $28m profit on sale of TandemLife stake Swiss-listed HBM Healthcare Investments (HBMN.S) should realise an profit of at least $27.6m on the sale of its holding in the med-tech company TandemLife, as a result of the company’s acquisition by Livanova. HBM Healthcare holds a 16.6% stake in TandemLife, which is carried on […]

14 Feb 2018

BBH’s first annual report delivers positive news

BBH’s first annual report delivers positive news- BBH has announced results for the year ended 30 November 2017, over the period the  total return was 19.3%, an outperformance of 4.9% versus the benchmark (the MSCI World Healthcare Total Return Index in GBP). The total return for shareholders was 20.5%. Total dividends for the year were 3.5p. For the […]

14 Feb 2018

IBT key beneficiary of massive BMS-Nektar deal

IBT key beneficiary of massive BMS-Nektar deal – International Biotech Trust (IBT) looks set to be the main investment trust beneficiary of the massive deal signed today between Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) and Nektar Therapeutics covering what had hitherto been – albeit briefly – the industry’s hottest un-partnered cancer drug, NKTR-214. Nektar is the third largest shareholding for […]

13 Feb 2018

Key trust holding Vertex gains US approval for new CF combo

Key trust holding Vertex gains US approval for new CF combo Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a leading US biotech specialising in cystic fibrosis (CF) and core holding for most of the sector’s collective investment vehicles, yesterday reported the US FDA approval of Symdeko, its new combination containing tezacaftor/ivacaftor for CF in patients aged 12 and over who are […]

09 Feb 2018

BioPharma Credit makes $150m loan to NovoCure

BioPharma Credit makes $150m loan to NovoCure – BioPharma Credit has entered into a definitive term senior secured loan agreement for US$150 million with NovoCure Limited (NASDAQ: NVCR), a commercial stage oncology company  with a current market capitalisation of approximately US$1.9 billion. The US$150 million loan will mature in February 2023 and bears interest at 9.0% […]

09 Feb 2018

Swiss biotech trusts resilient after recent sell-off

Swiss biotech trusts resilient after recent sell-off – Swiss-listed biotech investment trusts, HBM Healthcare Investments (HBMN.S) and BB Biotech (BBB.S), have fared by far the best among all the sector specialist closed-end collective vehicles in the wake of the global market sell-off in recent days. All 13 trusts in the group monitored by Marten & Co have seen a fall […]

02 Feb 2018

BB Biotech tops biotech trust league in January

BB Biotech tops biotech trust league in January Swiss-listed BB Biotech (BBB), managed by Bellevue Asset Management, was the best performing biotech-specialist investment trust in January, achieving a 4.8% rise in sterling-denominated NAV total return. Furthermore, with a tightening of its discount to NAV, BB biotech saw a 10.4% rise in its sterling-translated share price over […]

24 Jan 2018

Contrasting movements likely for Biotech Growth Trust investees

Contrasting movements likely for Biotech Growth Trust investees Orbimed-managed Biotech Growth Trust (BIOG) looks set to see some contrasting fortunes for key investments in its January update, due in the middle of next month, but could nevertheless be able to offer investors a positive report.  On the plus side, the trust will have seen its investment […]

23 Jan 2018

HBM Healthcare tops biotech trust league in 2017

HBM Healthcare tops biotech trust league in 2017 Swiss-listed HBM Healthcare Investments (HBMN.S) can claim to have been the best performing biotech-specialist closed-end fund  in 2017, according to an analysis by Marten & Co. The CHF1.1bn trust run by Swiss healthcare investment specialist HBM saw its share price rise from CHF99 to CHF134 last year […]