Mad Hedge Biotech and Healthcare Letter
July 16, 2024
Fiat Lux
Featured Trade:
(SMALL GIANTS RISING)
(GMAB), (OPHLY), (VRTX), (INCY), (BIIB), (AHKSY), (ALNY), (ARGX), (BGNE), (MRNA), (NBIX), (BNTX), (IPSEY), (CTLT), (NVO), (LLY), (JNJ), (GILD), (ABBV), (MRK), (SNY), (BMY), (GSK)
Remember when David took down Goliath? Well, history's repeating itself in the biotech arena, and this time, David's got deep pockets and a Ph.D.
Since April, I've been watching a trend on the so-called "next-generation" players in biotech and healthcare world. It reminds me of the massive changes I witnessed in Asian markets back in the '70s.
Over the past months, companies like Genmab (GMAB), Ono Pharmaceutical (OPHLY), Vertex (VRTX), Incyte (INCY), Biogen (BIIB), and Asahi Kasei (AHKSY) have been making waves that would impress even the most seasoned surfer. And these next-gen dealmakers aren't just dipping their toes in the M&A pool - they're doing cannonballs.
With cash reserves that would make Scrooge McDuck blush, these companies are overturning industry norms, already joining the prestigious $100 billion market cap club. At this celebration, the champagne flows freely.
So, what’s the play here?
With IPOs cooling down like day-old coffee, companies eyeing public debuts are now ripe targets for acquisition, more tempting than a juicy peach.
This fresh class of biotechs, unphased by the FTC's scrutiny that acts like kryptonite to pharma giants, are acting more like rocket fuel for these agile consolidators.
They slide through regulatory gaps faster than a greased pig at a county fair, grabbing six out of ten biopharma M&A deals in the second quarter alone. They’re not just taking a slice of the pie—they’re rewriting the recipe.
And if we're talking about firepower? These newcomers boast an average of $3.8 billion in pro forma adjusted cash, which isn't just walking-around money — that's "buy a small country" money.
But don't think for a second that this cash is just sitting pretty in their coffers. These upstarts are putting their money where their mouth is.
Take Incyte, for instance. They flexed their financial muscle with a $2 billion buyback in May 2024, sending a clear message to the market: "We're here to play, and we're playing to win."
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. The industry as a whole is lounging on a cool $1.5 trillion. That's enough liquidity to stretch the imagination — perhaps even to purchase a small planet. Mars, anyone? Elon might give us a discount.
But this financial might isn't just about buying power – it's about survival. As I said before, Big Pharma is teetering on a patent cliff that threatens to erode their revenue streams. To stay competitive, they're scrambling to replenish their pipelines, acquiring promising assets and gobbling up innovative technologies with the voracity of Pac-Man on steroids. And it's not just the usual suspects making moves.
This sense of urgency has created a fertile ground for an emerging cohort of aggressive dealmakers. Companies like Alnylam (ALNY), argenx (ARGX), BeiGene (BGNE), Moderna (MRNA), Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX), BioNTech (BNTX), and Ipsen (IPSEY) are biting off more than the market expected them to chew, and they're coming to the table hungry.
And these companies aren't just nibbling around the edges. They're making bold moves, acquiring cutting-edge biotech firms with promising pipelines. We're talking oncology, epilepsy, kidney diseases, cardiovascular plays – it's like someone turned a medical textbook into a shopping catalog.
In fact, even the big boys are flexing their muscles.
Novo Holdings (NVO) dropped a jaw-dropping $16.5 billion on Catalent (CTLT). That's not even for a drug - it's for manufacturing. Talk about betting on the picks and shovels in this biotech gold rush.
Eli Lilly (LLY) just plunked down $3.2 billion on Morphic Therapeutic (MORF), betting big on inflammation, immunity, and oncology.
Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ) been on a shopping spree, too, snagging Numab's Yellow Jersey for $1.25 billion and Proteologix for $850 million. Both plays in inflammation and immunity - clearly, they've found their sweet spot.
Biogen's not twiddling its thumbs either, striking a deal with HI-Bio worth up to $1.8 billion.
Not to be outdone, Gilead (GILD) shook hands with CymaBay Therapeutics to the tune of $4.3 billion. Even AbbVie (ABBV), playing it cooler, still dropped a cool $250 million on Celsius.
Meanwhile, Merck's (MRK) set its sights on EyeBio for up to $3 billion, focusing on ophthalmology.
Sanofi (SNY), Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY), GSK (GSK) - they're all in, placing their chips on everything from rare diseases to generics to asthma. Clearly, the Big Pharma giants are also trying to keep up with this shift.
As the biotech field evolves, watching these underdogs will be like watching history in the making — where today's Davids become tomorrow's Goliaths. I suggest you keep a close eye on the names above. Adding them to your portfolio would mean you’re not just watching the giants rise — you’ll be a part of the story.
Mad Hedge Biotech and Healthcare Letter
June 6, 2024
Fiat Lux
Featured Trade:
(IS THIS THE COMEBACK TRAIL AFTER A CLIFFHANGER?)
(BMY)
I once scaled a mountain everyone swore was cursed after a landslide. They missed out on stunning vistas and the thrill of conquering a challenge. Turns out, the best views often come after a little rock bottoming.
That brings to mind Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY), the pharma giant fresh off a stock price landslide of its own.
Bristol-Myers Squibb shares have been in a freefall lately, plunging to nearly half their 2022 peak of $80. The culprit? You guessed it: those dreaded patent expirations and a whole lot of hand-wringing about future growth.
However, as a contrarian investor, I see this doom-and-gloom scenario as an opportunity rather than a setback.
Remember those times when the market turned its back on the likes of Meta Platforms (META) and NVIDIA (NVDA)? They were trading for peanuts not so long ago and look at them now.
Now, you might be thinking, "So, BMY's taken a hit. Is it really that undervalued?"
Well, I've been digging through the stock's history, all the way back to 2012, and something interesting popped up: since 2013, BMY has rarely dipped below its 200-week simple moving average (that fancy brown line on your charts). It just recently broke through that floor, which could mean we're looking at a once-in-a-decade buying opportunity.
Every time this stock has even gotten close to that 200-week line, it's been a signal to buy, and the stock has always bounced back.
Let's not forget that just a couple of years ago, this stock was cruising at over $80 a share. Now it's practically a penny stock compared to that. Has the company really lost half its value?
Bristol-Myers Squibb's been facing some headwinds, no doubt about it. Revlimid, their blockbuster cancer treatment, lost patent protection in 2022, and Eliquis, their anti-stroke champ, is set to follow suit in 2026.
But don't count them out just yet. The company still has plenty of promising drugs in its arsenal that aren't facing patent cliffs anytime soon.
Plus, they've been on a shopping spree, snatching up high-potential companies like Karuna, RayzeBio, and Mirati in 2023. These acquisitions could be just the ticket to reignite growth and fill the void left by those expiring patents.
In a strategic move to streamline operations and boost future earnings, Bristol-Myers Squibb also announced a $1.5 billion plan to cut expenses, including eliminating around 2,200 jobs.
Sure, 2024 might be a bit of a transition year with some one-time charges, but this bold move could pave the way for a leaner, meaner, and ultimately more profitable company in the years to come.
Turning to the financials, analysts are forecasting a bit of a slow year for Bristol-Myers Squibb in 2024, with earnings per share of $0.56 on about $46 billion in revenue.
But they're expecting a major rebound in 2025, with earnings soaring to $6.94 per share on similar revenue.
And even though 2026 projections show a slight dip to $6.30 EPS on $43.85 billion revenue, this isn't a company you're buying for explosive growth.
The current stock price is roughly seven times the 2025 earnings estimate. That's a steal, my friends. Sure, they've got a bit of debt on the books – $57.46 billion to be exact, with $9.67 billion in cash. But hey, they still earned a respectable "A2" credit rating, so they're not exactly teetering on the brink.
Now, let's talk about another star of BMY’s show: that sweet, sweet dividend.
Bristol-Myers Squibb is dishing out $0.60 per share each quarter, which adds up to a juicy 5.5% yield. Think about that for a second.
That's more than most money market funds are offering right now, and with the Fed likely to slash interest rates in the near future, those yields are only going to shrink.
Remember that "Fed dot plot" they released earlier this year? It's hinting at a 2.25-point drop in the Fed Funds rate by the end of 2026. That could take us from the current 5.25% to 5.5% range all the way down to 3% to 3.25%.
Imagine how much more tempting that 5.5% dividend yield from Bristol-Myers Squibb will look when money market rates are potentially 40% lower.
That makes Bristol-Myers Squibb's current situation practically irresistible to a contrarian investor like me. We're talking about a stock trading at a price we haven't seen in over a decade, relative to the 200-week simple moving average. That's the kind of bargain that makes my palms sweat.
And that's not all. With a valuation hovering around seven times the 2025 earnings estimate and a dividend yield that makes money market funds look like pocket change, this could be a recipe for serious upside.
Sure, patent expirations are a pain in the you-know-what for every pharma company. But let's not forget those initial years of patent protection are like a golden ticket. Plus, Bristol-Myers Squibb has a proven track record of developing and acquiring blockbuster drugs.
Of course, there's no sugarcoating the challenges and risks, but when a stock's 5.5% yield and a rock-bottom P/E ratio are staring you in the face, it's hard to ignore the potential upside. That's why I'm dipping my toes in with a small initial position, gradually building it up over time.
I'm playing the long game here, folks. I believe that eventually, just like with other beaten-down stocks, investors will wake up and realize the incredible value this historically successful company offers.
In the meantime, that generous dividend will keep those money market-like payouts rolling in while we wait for the share price to rebound.
Mad Hedge Biotech and Healthcare Letter
May 30, 2024
Fiat Lux
Featured Trade:
“SCALING THE CLIFF”
(PFE), (BMY)
Bob Dylan was right: "The times they are a-changin'". And for Pfizer (PFE), those changing times mean navigating a post-pandemic world and a looming patent cliff. Can they rise to the challenge, or will they be singing the blues?
Pfizer hardly needs an introduction. Founded 175 years ago in 1849 and publicly listed in 1942, Pfizer boasts a market cap of over $160 billion, with highly liquid options trading against its equity.
However, this stock has been on a bit of a rollercoaster lately.
With revenues exceeding $240 billion between 2021 and 2023, largely from vaccines and cancer treatments sold in over 200 countries, Pfizer's reach is undeniable.
But after hitting a record high of $61.71 a share in December 2021, it's taken a nosedive – more than a 50% drop.
So, what gives? Well, it's mostly a combo of waning demand for their Covid-19 products and the dreaded patent cliff looming over some of their top-selling drugs.
At the moment, Pfizer's portfolio paints a mixed picture, with some drugs shining brightly and others facing a cloudier future.
Their pneumonia vaccine duo, Prevnar 13 and 20, remains a reliable workhorse, raking in $6.4 billion in FY23, a 3% increase. With Prevnar 20's patent secure until 2033, it's a safe bet for continued success.
Eliquis, the blood thinner co-marketed with Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY), is also holding its own, bringing in a respectable $6.7 billion in FY23, up 5%. However, the looming threat of generic competition in 2028 could put a damper on its future prospects.
On the other hand, Vyndaqel, a combination heart and nerve drug, has been a true standout, boasting a remarkable 36% jump in revenue to $3.3 billion in FY23.
Doctors have embraced it for treating a heart condition called ATTR-CM, but its patent situation remains uncertain with a potential expiration in 2024, unless Pfizer's extension to 2028 is approved.
Not all is rosy in Pfizer's garden though.
Comirnaty, their COVID-19 vaccine, may still be pulling in a hefty $11.2 billion in FY23, but it's a far cry from its FY22 peak. Sales have plummeted 70%, and those booster shots aren't exactly flying off the shelves anymore.
As for Paxlovid, the once-promising COVID-19 treatment, this drug has suffered an even more dramatic fall from grace, with revenue crashing 92% to $1.3 billion in FY23. To add insult to injury, Uncle Sam returned a staggering 6.5 million treatment courses.
Meanwhile, Ibrance, their breast cancer treatment, is also feeling the heat, with sales down 6% to $4.8 billion in FY23. It's facing tough competition overseas and its patent is set to expire in 2027, adding further pressure on its future performance.
To make matters worse, several other Pfizer blockbusters – Inlyta, Xeljanz, and Xtandi – are also staring down the barrel of patent expiration in the next few years.
This looming patent cliff poses a significant challenge for Pfizer, as these drugs have been major contributors to their revenue stream.
The company will need to rely on its pipeline of new drugs and strategic acquisitions to offset the potential losses and maintain its position as a leading player in the pharmaceutical industry.
Does that mean, then, that the $43 billion Seagen acquisition in December 2023 could become a lifeline for Pfizer?
Facing a double whammy of declining blockbuster sales and the looming patent cliff, Pfizer isn't sitting idly by. Seagen brings a fresh arsenal of patent-protected cancer-fighting drugs to the table, including three promising antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).
Two of these, Adcetris for Hodgkin lymphoma and Padcev for urothelial cancer are already showing blockbuster potential, having raked in $751 million and $479 million, respectively, in the first nine months of 2023, despite the acquisition's timing.
But Pfizer's ambition doesn't stop there.
With five new therapies and six label expansions slated for oncology alone by 2026, they're banking on biologics like ADCs to fuel their growth.
They predict these cutting-edge treatments will surge from 6% to 60% of their cancer revenues by 2030, potentially yielding eight new blockbusters.
For now, Seagen's arrival is a much-needed boost to their oncology sales, which dipped 4% to $11.6 billion in FY23, even with Seagen's $120 million contribution in the final weeks of the year.
While the Seagen acquisition helps Pfizer tackle its goals of dominating oncology and fueling pipeline innovation, it's not the whole picture.
Pfizer's got a few other tricks up its sleeve: maximizing new product performance, trimming costs, and playing the capital allocation game to keep shareholders happy.
They're even planning a $3 billion spending spree from late 2023 through 2024, aiming for a cool $4 billion in annual cost savings. Talk about tightening the belt while expanding the empire.
Speaking of empires, Pfizer's 4Q23 results were a bit of a wake-up call.
Earnings per share (EPS) tanked to $0.10 (non-GAAP) on revenue of $14.2 billion, a far cry from the $1.14 EPS and $24.3 billion revenue of the previous year.
For the full year, EPS dropped a whopping 72% to $1.84 (non-GAAP), with revenue down 42% to $58.5 billion.
But, if you ignore those pesky Covid-19 products (Comirnaty and Paxlovid), the top line actually grew a bit – 8% in Q4 and 7% for the whole year.
Just remember, that Paxlovid revenue reversal in Q4 wasn't pretty, slashing both GAAP and non-GAAP EPS by $0.54.
Fast forward to Q1 2024, and Pfizer's numbers were a bit more cheerful, at least compared to what the analysts expected.
Non-GAAP EPS came in at 82 cents, a solid 30 cents above the consensus.
Revenue did fall 19.5% year-over-year to $14.9 billion, but even that beat estimates by $900 million.
Management's still sticking to their FY2024 guidance of $58.5 billion to $61.5 billion in revenue and $2.15 to $2.35 in non-GAAP EPS. We'll see if they can deliver.
That Seagen deal wasn't cheap, though, adding a hefty $31 billion to Pfizer's debt pile. As of March, they had about $12 billion in cash and marketable securities against over $61 billion in long-term debt. Yikes.
Still, management's determined to keep raising those quarterly dividends, now up to $0.42 a share in early 2024. That's a lot, considering it ate up 91% of their non-GAAP earnings in FY23 and is projected to gobble 78% in FY24.
With all that debt, don't expect any more stock buybacks in 2024. Pfizer's taking a break from that game, just like they did last year.
Despite Wall Street's lukewarm reception to Pfizer's patent cliff strategy, it's important to remember that this pharmaceutical giant is far from down for the count.
So, sure, Pfizer's 2023 revenue took a 42% nosedive compared to 2022, but let's not forget: over 620 million people worldwide still rely on their meds.
They actually scored nine FDA approvals, sold more pharmaceuticals than anyone else on the planet, and they're not sitting idly by while their product sales decline. Clearly, they're making moves.
The current bargain-basement price of Pfizer's stock, trading at a P/E of 10.4 on FY25E EPS, coupled with a juicy 5.9% yield, might just be the cherry on top for savvy investors willing to bet on the company's ability to navigate these turbulent times. Whether they can pull it off is anyone's guess, but at this price, it might be worth a gamble.
Mad Hedge Biotech and Healthcare Letter
May 28, 2024
Fiat Lux
Featured Trade:
(GET YOUR GEIGER COUNTERS READY)
(NVS), (LLY), (BMY), (AZN)
Hang on to your Geiger counters because we're about to dive deep into the world of radiopharmaceutical therapy. I bet even Marie Curie would be impressed by the mind-blowing leaps we've made since her ground-shattering discoveries a century ago.
Now, don't get me wrong, she's a tough act to follow. But the big guns in pharma have taken up the challenge, piling up billions on the roulette table of targeted radiopharmaceutical therapy.
And from where I'm sitting, the odds are looking pretty darn exciting.
Just picture the scene: Radiation that directly takes the fight to those nasty tumor cells, like a microscopic missile strike that zaps cancer cells while ignoring the innocent bystanders.
How? By hitching a radioactive particle to a targeting molecule - think Uber, but for cancer therapy.
This healthcare game-changer, dubbed radiopharmaceutical therapy is projected to become a whopping $25 billion goldmine.
Forget the clunky radiation therapy your grandparents endured – this is precision, it's innovation, and it could potentially enrich your investment portfolio.
Actually, everyone seems to be piling into the radiopharma race. Experts say we're merely at the start line and these next-gen technologies could bring a windfall.
Evidence? The recent flurry of acquisitions, with no less than four deals being sealed just these past months.
Now, let's put some names to this game.
Novartis (NVS) is leading the pack with two radiopharmaceutical showstoppers under its belt. With their drugs Pluvicto and Lutathera, they're forecasted to rake in a whopping $5 billion by 2028 – that's more zeros than I can count on two hands.
Not just resting on their pile of success, they've scooped up Mariana Oncology in a $1 billion deal. This strategic move solidifies Novartis' dominion in the radiopharmaceutical arena – and you can quote me on that.
Inspired by Novartis' success, other pharmaceutical titans are catching the FOMO fever.
Eli Lilly (LLY), for instance, handed over $1.4 billion to acquire Point Biopharma and its promising radiation drug, PNT2002.
The investors’ darling this year with a near 38% surge in stock price (thanks to the overwhelming success of its obesity drugs), Eli Lilly is set to maintain its upward trajectory by venturing into the radiopharmaceutical space.
Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) isn't about to be left out of the radiopharmaceutical race either.
They ponied up a cool $4.1 billion for RayzeBio, snagging a promising pipeline of treatments. One standout is RYZ101, a late-stage targeted radiopharma therapy already making waves in trials for gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and small-cell lung cancer.
This acquisition followed closely on the heels of their $14 billion buyout of schizophrenia drug developer Karuna Therapeutics. Clearly, they’re feeling the heat as patents on some of their older cash cows are set to expire.
So, sure, BMY’s stock has been a bit sluggish lately, but this radiopharmaceutical gamble could be the shot in the arm they need.
And the acquisition spree doesn't stop there. AstraZeneca (AZN) also dove headfirst into the radiopharmaceutical pool, shelling out $2.4 billion for Fusion Pharmaceuticals in March.
Fusion's pipeline, including their Phase 2 candidate FPI-2265 for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, adds another potential blockbuster to the mix.
Meanwhile, several biopharma companies are still standing tall, catching the eye of investors.
In fact, the venture capital poured into radiopharmaceutical drugs surged to $518 million last year, a cool 722% increase from 2017.
The race isn't slowing down anytime soon either. Researchers are exploring the use of radiopharmaceuticals alongside other treatments like immunotherapy, and even envision a future where this technology could be applied to any cancer, including ovarian, breast, or brain tumors.
And with only two products currently in the market, the potential for growth in targeted radiotherapies seems almost infinite.
So, I'll say it one more time – get your Geiger counters ready. The radiopharmaceutical revolution is just getting started, ladies and gentlemen. It’s time to zero in on this hotbed of innovation and watch your investments go nuclear.
Mad Hedge Biotech and Healthcare Letter
March 12, 2024
Fiat Lux
Featured Trade:
(A BIOPHARMA'S RESURRECTION FROM PATENT PURGATORY)
(BMY), (PFE)
So, Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY), that old stalwart of the biopharma world, is making a comeback, and not just any comeback.
After what seemed like an eternity in the doldrums, with sales taking a hit left and right thanks to the expiration of patents on blockbuster drugs like Revlimid, this giant is stirring again.
And let me tell you, it's about time. My take? Keep a keen eye on BMY because this phoenix is rising.
To put things in perspective (and explain why I’m excited about this), let's not forget this little nugget: in the past year, Bristol-Myers was practically the only biopharma not to get an invite to the price surge party, apart from Pfizer (PFE), which took a 33.4% nosedive. Ouch.
Now, for the important details. After five quarters of watching sales dip like a roller coaster on the downward run, Bristol-Myers is back with a bang — or at least, a firm step in the right direction.
Although the company reported a slight 2% dip in annual sales to $45 billion, the underlying story is one of renewal and optimism. For the first time in a while, there are tangible signs that the company is navigating its way out of the patent purgatory that had ensnared its revenue streams.
Diving into the deep end, their LOE drug revenue shrunk to $7.1 billion in 2023, with Revlimid sales plummeting 36% to a mere $1.45 billion in the fourth quarter alone.
Yet, there's a glimmer of hope with new bloods like Reblozyl and Breyanzi, racking up a cool $423 million in Q4 sales between them.
Meanwhile, the bread and butter of Bristol-Myers, their in-line product portfolio, pulled in $34.3 billion, managing a modest 3% growth last year.
But here’s where it gets interesting: their new product portfolio skyrocketed by 77%, touching $3.6 billion for the year. As we waved goodbye to Q4, these new products were nearly outselling the old guard.
Sure, they're still the newbies, but their slice of the revenue pie jumped from 4.4% in 2022 to about 8% in 2023.
Add to that the success of their cancer treatment Opdivo, which enjoyed a 9% revenue bump, and you've got reasons to be cheerful.
Plus, with the market whispering sweet nothings of a return to growth, with sales expected to hit $46 billion in 2024, it’s hard not to get a little enthusiastic.
Let’s also not forget where Bristol-Myers shines: they've got a knack for snapping up small biotechs, keeping R&D spending savvy while hunting for the next big breakthrough.
In 2023, they're sitting pretty with a $7.51 EPS and operating cash flows to the tune of $14.0 billion. Translation? They've got the war chest to fund their growth crusade starting in 2024.
More importantly, Bristol-Myers has an extremely diverse portfolio.
It's like they've got their fingers in every pie – or, in this case, a smorgasbord of drugs tackling everything from the nitty-gritty of Oncology and Hematology to the intricacies of Immunology/Fibrosis and Cardiovascular health.
This isn't your run-of-the-mill, all-eggs-in-one-basket kind of deal. While some pharma giants are playing a high-stakes game banking on a single blockbuster or a handful of hopefuls, Bristol-Myers’ playing it smart with a kaleidoscope of treatments across the board.
To date, they've got over 12 assets strutting towards the registrational phase with another 30 doing the early-stage clinical studies. If that doesn't scream "long-term growth and earnings potential," I don't know what does.
Looking ahead to 2024, the brass at Bristol-Myers is promising "low-single-digits" revenue growth, while eyeing an EPS somewhere in the neighborhood of $7.10 to $7.40.
Sure, that might look like a step back from 2023's $7.51, but let's not forget their bill for their shopping spree – snagging Mirati Therapeutics for $14 billion isn't exactly pocket change, and neither is giving their new product lineup the grand tour.
What happens next? Well, the market loves a comeback story, especially in biopharma, and Bristol-Myers is penning a gripping narrative.
After a year that tested its mettle, Bristol-Myers is on the upswing, promising more thrills for investors. Admittedly, there might be some bumps along the way as they fold in their latest acquisitions, but any dips could be golden opportunities for the savvy investor.
I suggest you keep Bristol-Myers Squibb on your radar. This biopharma phoenix is just getting its second wind, and the journey ahead looks as promising as ever.