Biotechnology

Illumina takes pricey round-trip to find its Grail

21 September 2020

The $40 bln firm found out by accident years ago that it could detect cancer using genetic sequencing. It spun out Grail in 2017, bringing in cash from new investors. Now it's spending $7 billion to buy it back. Grail is a hot property, but it competes with Illumina's customers.

Gilead goes all-in to inject excitement

14 September 2020

The $82 bln biotech attracted attention with a Covid-19 drug but has been unable to shake its low valuation multiple. Recent M&A hasn’t helped, either. A $21 bln deal to buy Immunomedics is a huge bet on a breast cancer treatment. Failure could even turn Gilead into a target.

Sanofi begins M&A spree with low-risk $3.7 bln bet

17 August 2020

The French drugmaker bought U.S. firm Principia Biopharma, its first deal after selling a $12 bln stake in Regeneron. Buying an established partner allows CEO Paul Hudson to grow in a familiar and fast-growing field, autoimmune diseases. The trade-off is a long wait for a return.

Vaccine IPO a blend of hope, hype and arbitrage

12 August 2020

CureVac’s potential coronavirus remedy is coveted by the U.S. president. The German firm’s also a key player in biotech’s hottest unproven technology. And it hopes to float at just $2.7 bln, around 10% of the market value of rival Moderna. That’s plenty to ensure a warm welcome.

How U.S. made Covid-19 tests a profitable disaster

23 July 2020

Week-long waits for results jar with soaring share prices of firms that test for the killer virus, like Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp. Detecting Covid-19 can be financially rewarding, yet supply remains woefully short. The debacle shows market forces need a firm guiding hand.

Corona Capital: Newspapers, 747s

17 July 2020

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Congress may dangle newspapers a lifeline; British Airways brings its fleet of jumbo jets in for a final landing.

Corona Capital: Expense accounts, Zoom’s new box

15 July 2020

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: Goldman Sachs’ earnings give an insight into pandemic-era client schmoozing, and virtual meeting facilitator Zoom tiptoes into the high-priced hardware market.

DiaSorin offers rare bright spot in Italian gloom

10 July 2020

The $11 bln company’s Covid-19 kits may not be as iconic as Prada bags or Ferrari cars. But they sell like hot cakes in a pandemic. If the virus wanes, so will its tests' appeal. Still, DiaSorin’s biotech focus is a step-up from traditional Made in Italy products.

Gilead gives glimpse into feverish drug market

29 June 2020

Its Covid-19 treatment will set governments back about $2,300 per course – more than it costs to make but far less than U.S. patients would incur with longer hospital stays. There are many ways to decide the value of a drug. Gilead is, perhaps wisely, being relatively restrained.

Royalty Pharma merits private equity drug discount

16 June 2020

Pablo Legorreta’s company, which buys up revenue streams on potential blockbuster drugs, went public at a nearly $17 bln valuation. It has been a buyers’ market with limited competition. But rising political risk warrants a big discount to more diversified peers like Blackstone.

Gilead solidifies pharma pandemic insurance premia

9 June 2020

The $100 bln company has an approved Covid-19 drug that the U.S. government is distributing. That helps replace maturing HIV and dwindling hep C meds, and made Gilead a takeover target. The ability to cure what ails the entire economy buffs the sector’s strong defensive nature.

Pandemic boosts Chinese biotech cred

8 June 2020

Little-known firms like $5 bln CanSino are among the front runners to develop a Covid-19 vaccine. Most are working with foreign governments and companies, underscoring China’s rising industry status. These upstarts will go global even with rising geopolitical tensions.

U.S. testing firms aren’t having a great pandemic

4 June 2020

With no vaccine, finding Covid-19 cases is key. But it’s not lucrative. Extra revenue is being offset by falls in other tests for Quest and rival lab companies and in unrelated businesses for test makers like Abbott. There's little time to cash in and plenty of competition.

Corona Capital: Hockey, HBO, Minority businesses

27 May 2020

Concise views on the pandemic’s corporate and financial fallout: A plan to get pucks back on the ice offers a sporting template. Meanwhile, HBO’s streaming service may have missed its moment, and a survey shows minority-owned businesses have mixed feelings about life after Covid.

Moderna puts stock-sale opportunism to test

19 May 2020

The biotech pitching a Covid-19 vaccine joins a rapidly growing list of firms selling more shares to investors. It makes sense, given the market rebound, and some issuers’ need for cash. But the rush to sell by more speculative companies like Moderna should give buyers pause.

Blackstone has remedy for drug R&D cash burn

13 April 2020

The private-equity firm is sinking $2 bln into Alnylam, including buying rights to future revenue from a drug still under regulatory review. It's a way to match Blackstone's bulging wallet with the biotech’s hefty costs while limiting exposure to volatile equity markets.

Gilead’s $4.9 bln deal shows regular death goes on

2 March 2020

The $88 bln biotech company has the best antiviral bet against coronavirus; it’s also now buying cancer startup Forty Seven. Investors are focused on the former today, but the purchase at a hefty premium is a reminder that the fight against the grim reaper is a long-term affair.

Viral CLSA note delivers welcome rosy outlook

12 February 2020

An interview the Hong Kong broker conducted with a SARS expert has been widely circulated, owing in part to a comparison of the new coronavirus to a bad cold. It’s a rare upbeat assessment that defied consensus. The outcome is instructive for many sheep-like market forecasters.

Biotech undergoes the ultimate trial by epidemic

11 February 2020

Outfits like $8 bln Moderna have unproven technologies that could speed vaccine development, and cut costs to fatten thin profit margins. The battle against Chinese coronavirus provides a chance to demonstrate proof of concept. Success will depend on convincing regulators.

Big Tech will be both friend and foe to Big Pharma

3 January 2020

A programme developed by Google has beaten doctors in detecting malignant tumours. Artificial intelligence could save patients’ lives and help drugmakers develop more sophisticated treatments. Yet better screening could also help governments and insurers rein in drug spending.