Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly EuroBiotech Report. After expanding its pipeline by 41% in two years, AstraZeneca ($AZN) leapfrogged Pfizer ($PFE) to claim the fourth spot on the list of pharma companies with the most R&D-stage assets. The rejig means European Big Pharma companies now occupy the top four places on the pipeline leaderboard. At the other end of the European biopharma food chain, four companies took contrasting approaches to IPOs. Bone Therapeutics (EBR:BOTHE) and Poxel (EPA:POXEL) went public in Europe and were rewarded with overallotted offerings and surging stock prices. SteadyMed Therapeutics filed papers to follow the well-trodden path from Israel to Nasdaq. And NeuroVive Pharmaceutical (STO:NVP) tore up the U.S.-centric playbook and advanced its plan to list in Taiwan. GlycoVaxyn will now never need to decide where to IPO. The Swiss vaccine developer accepted an offer from GlaxoSmithKline ($GSK), resulting in a deal that means 14 of Sofinnova Partners' portfolio companies have now gone public or been sold in the past two years. And more. Nick Taylor (email | Twitter)
1. AstraZeneca's R&D boom gives EU a clean sweep of pipeline leaderboard
A 13% jump in the number of compounds in development at AstraZeneca has seen it leapfrog Pfizer to claim fourth place on Citeline's list of the biggest development pipelines. The switch means European Big Pharma companies occupy the top four spots, with GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis and Roche taking the podium positions.
2. Bone Therapeutics, Poxel burst out of the gate with oversubscribed IPOs
Bone Therapeutics and Poxel have started life on European public markets with a bang. Both companies priced within their target ranges, sold out their over allotments and soared in the first few days of trading.
3. Sofinnova Partners' purple patch continues with GSK-GlycoVaxyn deal
Sofinnova Partners has followed up the succession of IPOs by its portfolio companies with the sale of its stake in GlycoVaxyn to GlaxoSmithKline. The sale continues a busy two years for the VC shop.
4. SteadyMed plans $55M IPO to fuel race for PAH pump market
SteadyMed Therapeutics is heading to Nasdaq in search of $55 million (€49 million) to finance its assault on United Therapeutics' slice of the pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) market. The goal is to win market share by offering patients a simpler parenteral treatment for PAH.
5. NeuroVive pockets $3M on road to Taiwan IPO
NeuroVive Pharmaceutical has raised $3.3 million (€2.9 million) from Taiwanese investors to finance early aspects of its Asian expansion. The fundraising moves NeuroVive a step closer to realizing its plan to list its subsidiary on the Taiwan stock exchange.
And more articles of note >>