This sector includes biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, research services, home healthcare, hospitals, long-term care facilities, and medical equipment and supplies. Companies in this sector include Astra Zeneca, Pfizer and Roche Holding.
IP Group-backed Genomics raises £25m in a Series B Genomics plc, a University of Oxford spin-out backed by UK-based healthcare/tech VC investor IP Group (LSE: IPO), has closed a £25.0m Series B financing round led by the major US biotech, Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Woodford Investment Management – manager of the Woodford Patient Capital Trust (WPCT) – Invesco Perpetual, Oxford […]
Biotech trust stock favourite Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ALNY) gained more than 16% yesterday after the presentation of ostensibly highly positive clinical trial data on one of its key competitors at a scientific meeting. Alnylam is held by several of the sector’s specialist investment trusts including Biotech Growth (BIOG, 3.6% of NAV) and BB Biotech (BBB, 3.6% of NAV) […]
BB-backed Ionis hit as FDA rejects Waylivra Shares in Ionis Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: IONS), a key shareholding for BB Biotech (10.9% of NAV) and several other specialist investment vehicles, fell by more than 12% after hours yesterday, after the FDA issued a complete response letter (CRL) – effectively a rejection – of its new drug application for Waylivra (volanesorsen). The […]
Trust favourite Gilead gears up for filgotinib RA Phase III data Gilead Sciences, a widely held stock among biotech investment trusts and a top 10 holding for BB Biotech (BBB, 5.1% of NAV) and Biotech Growth Trust (BIOG, 3.9%), is expected to report top-line results from two trials involving its JAK 1 selective inhibitor filgotinib in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and in ankylosing […]
BB-backed Ionis approaches key regulatory events Ionis Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: IONS), a key shareholding for BB Biotech (10.9% of NAV) and several other specialist investment vehicles, is approaching a number of important regulatory events. In particular, these include the outcome of the FDA review for Waylivra, which has a deadline at the end of this month. Waylivra has been developed […]
WPCT avoids losses on Woodford-backed Abzena Woodford Investment Management will have to take a second painful hit on one of its major biotech investments in less than a week, after the UK-based drug discovery services company Abzena agreed to a low-ball private equity takeout today after seeing a sustained share price decline. This deal follows the […]
IBT adds to Celgene, reduces Neurocrine in July rejig International Biotechnology Trust (IBT) appears to have boosted its shareholding in Celgene – which has risen by one place and ~ two NAV percentage points to become its top investee company, as part of a rejig of its largest investments in July. According to the trust’s latest […]
Alnylam receives expected FDA ok for Onpattro Biotech trust stock favourite Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ALNY) received its first FDA approval late on Friday for Onpattro (patisiran) for the treatment of polyneuropathy in adults with hereditary transthyretin-mediated (hATTR) amyloidosis. However, the FDA did not allow a broader label that included patients with cardiomyopathy (CM), leading to […]
Woodford finally closes chapter on failed Vernalis investment Neil Woodford’s eponymous Patient Capital Trust (WPCT) will have to look forward to receiving just £1.8m for the 30.6m shareholding – acquired in 2015 for £18.5m – in Vernalis, the UK biotech whose failed endeavour to break into the US cough/cold market led to it being put up […]
Syncona remains at high premium and highly geared to Autolus Syncona (SYNC)‘s shares have been the second best performer this year among the 14 biotech investment trusts monitored by Marten & Co, rising by 24.5% in the first seven months to end July. However, the trust’s NAV has only gained 8.7% in the period and […]
Trust favourite Alnylam approaches key FDA decision Biotech trust stock favourite Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq:ALNY) should find out later this week whether the FDA will grant approval to its first product, Onpattro (patisiran), for hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis (or hATTR). In this case, unusually, there is relatively little concern that Onpattro may not receive US approval and the […]
IBT backed Regeneron teams up with Bluebird on T cell cancer therapies US top tier biotech Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: REGN) is to make a $100m equity investment at a 59% premium in the gene therapy pioneer Bluebird Bio, as part of a newly established collaboration to develop and commercialise novel immune cell therapies for cancer. Regeneron is […]
Arix leads first VIPE into Pharmaxis LSE-quoted life science investor Arix Bioscience (ARIX) is to acquire an 11% interest in Pharmaxis (ASX: PXS) in its first VIPE or venture investment in public equity. Arix led a A$24m placing in the Australian biotech, in which it will invest A$14.2m for a 11% holding. This will mean the […]
Tekla Healthcare top specialist fund performer in July Tekla Healthcare Opportunities, a US closed end fund that invests largely in US large cap pharma and biotech, saw the best investment performance of the 14 specialist biotech specialist investors monitored by Marten & Co, in terms of its sterling-adjusted NAV performance for the month of July. Switzerland’s BB […]
Trust favourite Neurocrine’s shares rise on strong Ingrezza report Neurocrine Biosciences (Nasdaq: NBIX), the US biotech that is the largest single holding for International Biotechnology Trust (IBT, 5.5% of NAV) and second largest for BB Biotech (BBB.S, 8.9% of NAV), has seen its share rise by more than 15% this week on the back of a strong […]
Arix remains highly geared to Autolus value Arix Bioscience’s 8% investment in Autolus Therapeutics (Nasdaq: AUTL), the recently floated second-generation CAR-T company, now accounts for more than half of the value of its investments, some 25% of its NAV and almost 30% of its stockmarket value, according to calculations by Marten & Co. Arix is by far […]
HBM sees best share price performance in YTD period London-listed HBM Healthcare (HBMN) recorded the best share price price performance so far this year of the 14 biotech specialist investment trusts monitored by Marten & Co, with a 25% rise in the seven months to end July. HBM’s share price outstripped growth in NAV, which […]
Puretech Health affiliate Karuna raises $42m Karuna Pharmaceuticals, a neuroscience unit of LSE-listed healthcare venture firm Puretech Health (LSE: PRTC), has completed a $42m Series A financing comprising the issue of $20m of new equity and $22m on conversion of debt. Participants in the financing included Arch Venture Partners, Wellcome Trust, Dr Steven Paul (a Karuna board […]
FDA accepts HBM investee Immunomedics’ breast cancer drug filing US biotech Immunomedics (Nasdaq:IMMU), a top 10 holding for Swiss-listed HBM Healthcare (2.5% of NAV), has reported that the US FDA has accepted its regulatory application for the antibody-drug conjugate sacituzumab govitecan and granted priority review with an action date of 18 January 2019. The application […]
Trust favourite Biogen preps for detailed Alzheimer’s trial results Trust favourite Biogen (Nasdaq: BIIB), the largest single holding for Biotech Growth Trust (BIOG, 11.7% of NAV) and widely held stock among other sector specialist collective vehicles – will with its joint venture partner Eisai shortly disclose detailed results from a Phase II study of the […]
Genmab commits to new bispecific cancer immunotherapy programme Danish biotech Genmab (Nasdaq Copenhagen: GEN) has paid $54m upfront and committed to pay up to $1.65bn in R&D, regulatory and commercial milestones to the private German biotech Immatics as part of a deal to discover and develop three next-generation bispecific cancer immunotherapies. Genmab, which is Europe’s […]
EC approves Ionis’ amyloidosis drug Ionis Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: IONS) has received marketing authorisation from the European Commission for Tegsedi (inotersen), its RNA-targeted therapeutic for stage 1 or 2 polyneuropathy in adults with hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (hATTR). This is the first approval for the drug and unusually EU approval has come through ahead of the US, with the outcome of […]
Celgene claims win for luspatercept in Believe trial Specialist trust favourite Celgene (Nasdaq: CELG) has reported positive result in a Phase III trial with the drug candidate luspatercept for treatment of anaemia associated with beta-thalassemia. This follows the company’s success in the Medalist Phase III trial win with the same drug in anaemia associated with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The unambiguous […]
Key trust holding Biogen claims rare Alzheimer’s trial success Trust favourite Biogen saw its stock rise by 20% on Friday, after reporting a surprise apparently positive result from a Phase II study with the anti-amyloid beta protofibril antibody BAN-2401 in the notoriously tough indication of Alzheimer’s disease. However, the share price boost to Biogen probably reflects the implied […]
Autolus IPO boosts WPCT to top of specialist trust league in June The Nasdaq float of Autolus, one its top ten investee companies, boosted Woodford Patient Capital Trust (WPCT) to top position in the performance league table of biotech/healthcare specialist investment trusts for the month of June, both in terms of price and NAV total return. […]
Trust favourite Celgene claims win in Medalist trial US biotech and specialist trust favourite Celgene (Nasdaq: CELG) has reported a positive result in a closely-watched Phase III trial that was being seen as a key step necessary in its rehabilitation with investors. The trial was of the drug candidate luspatercept for treatment of anaemia associated with a type […]
HBM gains on IPO of investee Aptinyx HBM Healthcare (HBMN) should be able to see a ~CHF15m gain in NAV, following the IPO of investee company Aptinyx on Nasdaq earlier this week and the 40% rise in its stock price since. Aptinyx (Nasdaq: APTX) raised gross proceeds of $118m from the sale of 7.4m shares at […]
IP Group investee Carisma Therapeutics closes $53m fundraising Carisma Therapeutics, a US-based investee company for LSE-listed IP Group (IPO), has closed a $53m series A fundraising. The financing was led by AbbVie Ventures, the corporate venture arm of the US pharmaceutical giant, and HealthCap, an EU VC investor, and included the existing seed investors, IP Group, Penn […]
IBT favourite Array updates trial results ahead of key FDA decision Array Biopharma (ARRY), a top ten holding for LSE-listed International Biotechnology Trust (IBT), has reported positive results from a safety lead-in phase of a pivotal trial of a triplet therapy comprising two of its drugs – binimetinib and encorafenib – with Merck KGaA’s Erbutix in BRAF mutant […]
Syncona accelerates investment in gene therapy portfolio LSE-listed biotech VC fund Syncona (SYNC) has made a significant investment in three of its portfolio companies involved in developing gene therapies, with staged commitments of £85m ($112m) to Freeline Therapeutics, $35m to SwanBio and $12m to Orbit Biomedical. Freeline, which was spun out from University College London (UCL) in 2015, is […]
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