The biotech sector along with small cap biotech stocks Cardiome Pharma Corp (NASDAQ: CRME), Oncolytics Biotech, Inc (NASDAQ: ONCY), Vital Therapies Inc (NASDAQ: VTL) and TNI BioTech (OTCMKTS: TNIB) have all been producing their share of news this week for investors and traders alike to trade on. Moreover and while some 42 "life sciences" companies have gone public raising about $3 billion from investors so far this year, there are a growing number of biotechs pulling the plug on upcoming IPOs who are citing market conditions. With that in mind, here is a look at important news from the biotech sector and small cap biotech stocks this week:
Frothy IPO Market But There is Still "Quality Control." Wall Street's MoneyBeat column quoted Christopher Bartel, head of global equity research at Fidelity, say the following about the IPO market in general:"It's frothy, but there's still a quality-control element. You're not seeing the deal-chasing."
The article went on to note that the healthcare sector has been the busiest industry for deals thanks to scores of biotech IPOs, many of them being early-stage drug developers without profits or revenue – a sign that investors have risk-tolerance. Moreover and even in the highflying biotech area, Bartel said that "there are still good quality companies coming public there."
Biotech IPO Deals Start to Stumble. The San Diego based site Economy.com noted earlier this week that demand for new IPOs has remained strong even though three life sciences companies (San Diego-based Celladon; Monrovia, CA-based Xencor; and Palo Alto, CA-based CardioDx) have recently postponed their IPOs. In addition, TetraLogic Pharmaceuticals Corp., focused on the discovery and development of small molecule drugs called Smac mimetics for the treatment of cancers, has just yanked its $103.5 million IPO that was set for yesterday (they were planning to sell 6.4 million shares at between $13 and $15 per share) with the CEO saying: "The market is just exhausted at this time." Trevena Inc., a clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing the next generation of G-protein coupled receptor, has also scrapped plans for a $92.9 million IPO because of unfavorable market conditions along with Vital Therapies Inc, which is developing bio-artificial liver cells for treatment of acute liver failure. The latter was planning to raise $75 million by offering 4.4 million shares at $16 to $18 per share. Cardiome Pharma Corp. Is on the Upswing On Good News. Small cap Cardiome Pharma Corp. has risen some 39% this week on good news. On Monday, Cardiome Pharma Corp. announced that it had completed the acquisition of Correvio LLC, a privately held EBITDA positive pharmaceutical company headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, selling Aggrastat (tirofiban HCL) to cardiologists in over 60 countries worldwide with annual revenues of $30+ million. Under the terms of the agreement, Cardiome Pharma Corp. acquired 100% of Correvio LLC through the purchase of a combination of assets and shares of its subsidiaries in exchange for 19.9% of Cardiome's outstanding shares (proforma ownership of approximately 16.6%) and a deferred cash consideration of $12M that will be repaid monthly at an amount equal to 10% of cash receipts from product sales and any applicable interest accrued at 10% compounded annually. This adjusted deferred cash consideration must be repaid in full by December 1, 2019. In addition, Cardiome Pharma Corp announced that an article in the official Journal of the European Heart Rhythm Association concluded that its BRINAVESS, an efficacious and rapid acting pharmacological cardioversion agent for recent-onset atrial fibrillation (AF), can be used first line in patients with little or no underlying cardiovascular disease and in patients with moderate disease (such as stable coronary and hypertensive heart disease). Shares are up 203.2% since the start of the year, but they are still down 68% over the past five years.
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