FDA approves BB Biotech backed Agios’ AML drug Tibsovo Agios Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:AGIO), a top 10 holding for Switzerland’s BB Biotech (BBB), has received US FDA approval for Tibsovo for relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukaemia (r/r AML) with a specific IDH1 mutation. Agios, which has seen its shares rise by ~50% this year, accounted for […]
HBM-backed Argenx gets Shire as partner Dutch antibody company Argenx (Euronext & Nasdaq:ARGX), a top ten holding for Swiss-listed HBM Healthcare (HBMN, 2.9% of NAV), has gained a new licensing partner with the exercise by Shire Pharmaceuticals of an option held under a 2012 discovery alliance. The license covers a a preclinical stage antibody discovered and […]
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. […]
Polar Capital investee Novartis confirms Alcon spin-off Novartis shares have risen by 4% today in response to news that it will conduct a 100% spin off next year of its Alcon eye-care unit into a separately traded company listed in Switzerland and the US. The move, which comes after a strategic review of the long […]
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 […]
