fbpx

News

10 Jan 2020

Biotech Growth tops bio-trust league with 47% NAV rise – updated

Biotech Growth tops bio-trust league with 47% NAV rise – Orbimed-managed Biotech Growth Trust (BIOG)  recorded the rise 47% rise in NAV in 2019, representing the best performance of the 14 specialist biotech/pharma closed end investment vehicles monitored by Marten & Co. Biotech Growth’s rise in NAV was more than double that of the benchmark […]

16 Dec 2019

BioPharma Credit loan to Sarepta as FDA approves Vyondys 

BioPharma Credit loan to Sarepta, as FDA approves Vyondys BioPharma Credit (BPCR), the LSE-listed life sciences debt investor, is to extend a loan of up to $350m to the US listed biotech, Sarepta Therapeutics (Nasdaq: SRPT), as part of a $500m senior secured term loan arranged by its manager Pharmakon Advisors, with the remainder provided […]

16 Oct 2019

Trust favourite Alexion acquires complentary player Achillion

Trust favourite Alexion acquires complentary player Achillion Rare disease specialist and investment trust favourite Alexion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALXN) has notched up its second business development transaction in a just over a week, with a $1bn deal to acquire the smaller US competitor Achillion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ACHN). The acquisition follows the option deal covering StealthBioTherapeutics’ Phase II stage drug […]

10 Oct 2019

Trust favourite Alexion options Stealth Bio’s mitochrondrial disease drug

Trust favourite Alexion options Stealth Bio’s mitochrondrial disease drug US rare disease biotech and investment trust favourite Alexion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALXN) has effectively added a new Phase III-stage programme to its R&D pipeline, by virture of an option deal covering Stealth BioTherapeutics’ lead product  elamipretide for mitochondrial diseases. Stealth (NASDAQ:MITO), a $270m market cap US biotech […]

13 Sep 2019

Biogen/Eisai discontinue BACE inhibitor in Alzheimer’s 

Biogen/Eisai discontinue BACE inhbitor in Alzheimer’s US-biotech Biogen and its Japanese partner Eisai have stopped two large Phase III studies of the investigational BACE (beta amyloid cleaving enzyme) inhibitor elenbecestat/E2609 for Alzheimer’s disease, after an interim safety review highlighted an unfavourable risk-benefit ratio. The move effectively marks the end of development of agents in this […]

09 Sep 2019

Acadia stock surges 65% on positive trial result in dementia psychosis

Acadia stock surges 65% on positive trial result in dementia psychosis – US biotech Acadia Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ACAD) saw its stock jump 65% today on the back of a positive result in its “Harmony” Phase III study of Nuplazid (pimavanserin) for dementia-related psychosis. The company reported that the study met its primary endpoint, demonstrating a […]

25 Jul 2019

BMS claims still on track to close Celgene deal by early 2020 

BMS claims still on track to close Celgene deal by early 2020 – Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) has confirmed that it remains on track to close its proposed $74bn acquisition of the US biotech giant Celgene by the end 2019 or in early 2020, even though this is now dependent on securing a separate deal to […]

25 Jul 2019

Trust favourite Sage to test ‘217 in treatment resistant depression

Trust favourite Sage to test ‘217 in treatment resistant depression  – US biotech Sage Therapeutics announced plans to advance its lead development candidate, SAGE-217 (zuranolone) into a Phase III trial for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The drug is already in Phase III for major depressive disorder (MDD) and has completed – successfully – a Phase III […]

23 Jul 2019

Acadia falls on negative trial result in schizophrenia

Acadia falls on negative trial result in schizophrenia  – US biotech Acadia Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ACAD) saw its stock fall by 15% today on the back of a negative top-line result from its 396-patient “Enhance” Phase III study of Nuplazid (pimavanserin) in treatment resistant schizophrenia. The company, which is a mid-size holding of the UK’s International Biotechnology […]

18 Jul 2019

Genmab raises $582m in Europe’s largest ever Nasdaq IPO 

Genmab raises $582m in Europe’s largest ever Nasdaq IPO  – Denmark’s Genmab has raised a gross total of $582m from its US IPO, the largest sum ever by a European biotech. Genmab, which is already listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen, sold 32.78m ADSs – each of which represents one-tenth of a share – at $17.75/ADS, only a 3% […]