Mad Hedge Biotech & Healthcare Letter
May 12, 2020
Fiat Lux
Featured Trade:
(GLAXOSMITHKLINE’S ENTRY INTO THE COVID-19 VACCINE RACE)
(GSK), (VIR), (AZN)
Posts
It’s all-hands-on-deck for the biotech sector as the world battles the deadly coronavirus disease COVID-19.
As the US coronavirus-related deaths mount to over 80,000 and reported cases hitting over 1.3 million, the need to find a cure and vaccines increases in urgency every passing minute.
Joining the biotech companies throwing their hats into the ring is GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), which recently announced its decision to work hand in hand with Vir Biotechnology (VIR) in the search for a coronavirus cure.
On top of the collaboration efforts, the partnership will also involve GSK investing $250 million in Vir. According to these terms, each Vir share will be worth $37.73.
The collaboration announcement also pushed Vir shares to rise by as much as 34% and trading more than doubled. Meanwhile, (GSK) went up by roughly 2%.
The partnership will explore several platforms to come up with a treatment for COVID-19.
So far, the most promising candidates involve two antibodies presently dubbed as VIR-7831 and VIR-7832. Both were developed by Vir as treatments for SARS, which is also caused by a coronavirus.
Actually, these antibodies were developed using samples from a patient who recovered from SARS. However, these could also be produced artificially.
(GSK) and Vir estimate that Phase 2 clinical trials will commence in three to five months.
Apart from these antibody treatments, the two companies are also looking into utilizing CRISPR screening technology to figure out which proteins are used by the coronavirus to infect the healthy cells.
Once they identify these, (GSK) and Vir could come up with drugs that block viral infection. That is, they can use the information to create a vaccine to be used not only for COVID-19 but also for other types of coronaviruses.
According to (GSK), the Vir proteins had been identified as “highly potent” when targeted at the coronavirus in the laboratory.
If all goes well, a coronavirus vaccine could be on its way in 12 to 18 months.
Aside from (GSK), Vir also has an ongoing collaboration with another bigwig biotech, Biogen (BIIB).
This isn’t the first venture of (GSK) in looking for a COVID-19 cure though.
The British biotech giant is also working with China’s Xiamen Innovex on another potential coronavirus vaccine.
In addition, (GSK) is looking into forming a joint laboratory with AstraZeneca (AZN) to assist the UK government in stretching and expanding its supplies for COVID-19 diagnostic tests.
Although diagnostics are not part of their primary efforts, the goal is for the two big biotechs to determine the best ways to help in detecting the spread of COVID-19.
While these efforts to help find a solution to the pandemic are at the forefront of the biotech world today, GSK has a lot more to offer.
(GSK) manufactures products that people need to take on a regular basis.
The need is so great that the company actually allocates 80% of its research efforts focused on drug development for various issues like oncology, immuno-inflammation, and HIV. These treatments are vital to the daily existence of so many patients across the globe.
Meanwhile, (GSK) also aims to streamline its business and focus on the research and development of products and services. Hence, it decided to split its businesses into two.
One will be geared towards pharmaceutical efforts. The second will be focused on consumer health.
This is an excellent move in ensuring that (GSK) maximizes its potential to dominate its chosen markets.
Throughout the years, (GSK) has demonstrated its capacity to grow while delivering a strong bottom line. From 2015 until 2019, the biotech giant’s sales increased by over 40% with its operating margin rising as well.
While it’s undeniable that this global biotech stock has gotten itself caught up in the COVID-19 whirlwind that managed to hurt virtually every sector, its downside alternative makes absolutely no sense.
No one has the ability to predict and control when they get sick or what type of illness they get afflicted with, which makes the biotech sector and specifically drug developers particularly safe bet whatever the financial climate is.
So, investors looking for a stable stock can now afford to buy (GSK) shares at approximately 10 times worth of next year’s per-share profit potential. As if that’s not enough, the company also offers a mouthwatering 7.5% dividend yield.
Keep in mind that a wise way to insulate your portfolio amid the fears of a market crash is through investing in stable businesses that offer products and services needed on a daily basis.
If the companies provide essential items in both good and bad times, it’s a good sign the stocks will be able to survive any market crash.
(GSK), which is currently at an 11-year low due to the pandemic and economic crisis, is worth considering.
Mad Hedge Biotech & Healthcare Letter
April 28, 2020
Fiat Lux
Featured Trade:
(THE FIVE FRONTRUNNERS IN THE RACE FOR A COVID-19 VACCINE)
(GSK), (SNY), (REGN), (TBIO), (VIR)
We’re finally pulling out the big guns.
Almost five months into this debilitating global pandemic, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Sanofi (SNY) announced a collaboration to come up with a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine.
These vaccine heavy-hitters not only assured that the product would be ready by the second half of 2021 but also that they would be able to manufacture hundreds of millions of doses every year.
This is actually pretty impressive considering that the typical timeline for a vaccine takes at least a decade.
What we know so far is that Sanofi will conduct tests on its experimental vaccine using GSK’s adjuvants.
Adjuvants are added to improve the efficacy of some vaccines. These can also lower the amount of vaccine protein needed for every dose, boosting the likelihood of creating a shot that can be manufactured in large quantities.
According to GSK and Sanofi, human trials will begin in the second half of 2020.
GSK’s coronavirus adjuvant already demonstrated its value during the H1N1 influenza pandemic back in 2009 when this technology played a major role in the success of the Shingrix shingles vaccine.
As for Sanofi, the giant biotech company will be using a previously approved influenza vaccine for this joint effort.
GSK shares rose by 2% following the announcement while Sanofi got a 4.1% increase.
While both companies shared that they don’t really expect much profit from this COVID-19 vaccine, they plan to reinvest any short-term earnings in preparatory measures to better handle future pandemics.
Aside from this joint effort, GSK and Sanofi are also taking multiple shots in the hopes of solving this COVID-19 health crisis.
Sanofi is testing its malaria drug which contains hydroxychloroquine.
If you recall, this is the same drug that Donald Trump hailed as a “miracle” coronavirus cure earlier this year. Days following the president’s announcement, Sanofi offered to donate 100 million doses of hydroxychloroquine to 50 countries.
On top of that, Sanofi is also working with Regeneron (REGN) to assess whether its existing arthritis treatment Kevzara can work as a coronavirus medication.
It also has an ongoing collaboration with Translate Bio (TBIO) to come up with another COVID-19 vaccine using messenger RNA.
Outside its coronavirus efforts, Sanofi has been looking into streamlining the company’s focus to improve margins and shift into more lucrative growth areas. So far, so good.
One of the more drastic measures is eliminating diabetes and cardiovascular research sector of the company.
Funding for these was reallocated, with the acquisition of cancer and auto-immune biotechnology company Synthorx serving as a strong indication of the direction the company plans to take.
Apart from growing its immuno-oncology department, Sanofi is also betting on eczema treatment Dupixent -- a move that saw them rewarded almost immediately.
The company’s recent earnings report showed that Dupixent sales jumped 135% in the fourth quarter of 2019, with annual sales soaring to an impressive $2.3 billion. This indicates a 152% increase from the year prior.
Riding this momentum, Sanofi received FDA approval to expand the use of multiple myeloma drug Sarclisa in April.
This marks another significant win for the company.
Multiple myeloma ranks second in the list of most common blood cancer types, with the disease affecting roughly 32,000 Americans annually. It cannot be cured as well, which means that treatments are needed throughout the patients’ lives.
Needless to say, Sanofi has several platforms to contribute to finding the cure and even a vaccine for COVID-19. More importantly, the company has managed to transform itself into a more streamlined and innovative business.
Sanofi would be a wise choice for investors interested in a stock to hold for the long term. This company doesn’t only hold a starring role in the search for a coronavirus vaccine but also offers more opportunities beyond the current pandemic.
Meanwhile, GSK is also not limiting its adjuvant technology to Sanofi but to other companies developing COVID-19 vaccines as well. The list includes Vir Biotechnology (VIR) and even Chinese biotech company Clover Biopharmaceuticals.
Despite its active participation in the coronavirus vaccine race, GSK tumbled down to over its 10-year low in March.
Although the pandemic’s negative impact looks discouraging, I think the overreaction is good news for value and dividend traders as the stock now trades at bargain-bin valuations.
Hence, investors could enjoy GSK’s lucrative 5.8% dividend at relatively cheap costs.
It also doesn’t hurt that GSK offers a diversified portfolio that all but guarantees minimal losses for its investors.
Its biggest revenue driver is the pharmaceutical arm of the business, which raked in total revenue of roughly $21.68 billion in 2019.
GSK’s vaccine segment contributed 8.87 billion while the consumer healthcare sector brought in over 11 billion.
Although smaller than its pharmaceutical arm, both segments are quickly catching up to GSK’s biggest moneymaker. In fact, its vaccine segment recorded revenue growth of 21% while its consumer healthcare arm jumped by 17%.
Overall, GSK is a compelling addition to any investor’s portfolio. Its impressive dividend combined with its diversified business makes this biotechnology company a wise choice as well.
The collaboration of GSK and Sanofi is considered as the most significant and promising COVID-19 vaccine effort to date.
This partnership not only maximizes the expertise of the two leading vaccine makers in the world but take advantage of their manufacturing capacity as well, which is a critical concern given that a COVID-19 vaccine would have to be distributed to millions, if not billions, of individuals across the globe.
Mad Hedge Biotech & Healthcare Letter
April 28, 2020
Fiat Lux
Featured Trade:
(THE FIVE FRONTRUNNERS IN THE RACE FOR A COVID-19 VACCINE)
(GSK), (SNY), (REGN), (TBIO), (VIR)
We’re finally pulling out the big guns.
Almost five months into this debilitating global pandemic, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Sanofi (SNY) announced a collaboration to come up with a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine.
These vaccine heavy-hitters not only assured that the product would be ready by the second half of 2021 but also that they would be able to manufacture hundreds of millions of doses every year.
This is actually pretty impressive considering that the typical timeline for a vaccine takes at least a decade.
What we know so far is that Sanofi will conduct tests on its experimental vaccine using GSK’s adjuvants.
Adjuvants are added to improve the efficacy of some vaccines. These can also lower the amount of vaccine protein needed for every dose, boosting the likelihood of creating a shot that can be manufactured in large quantities.
According to GSK and Sanofi, human trials will begin in the second half of 2020.
GSK’s coronavirus adjuvant already demonstrated its value during the H1N1 influenza pandemic back in 2009 when this technology played a major role in the success of the Shingrix shingles vaccine.
As for Sanofi, the giant biotech company will be using a previously approved influenza vaccine for this joint effort.
GSK shares rose by 2% following the announcement while Sanofi got a 4.1% increase.
While both companies shared that they don’t really expect much profit from this COVID-19 vaccine, they plan to reinvest any short-term earnings in preparatory measures to better handle future pandemics.
Aside from this joint effort, GSK and Sanofi are also taking multiple shots in the hopes of solving this COVID-19 health crisis.
Sanofi is testing its malaria drug which contains hydroxychloroquine.
If you recall, this is the same drug that Donald Trump hailed as a “miracle” coronavirus cure earlier this year. Days following the president’s announcement, Sanofi offered to donate 100 million doses of hydroxychloroquine to 50 countries.
On top of that, Sanofi is also working with Regeneron (REGN) to assess whether its existing arthritis treatment Kevzara can work as a coronavirus medication.
It also has an ongoing collaboration with Translate Bio (TBIO) to come up with another COVID-19 vaccine using messenger RNA.
Outside its coronavirus efforts, Sanofi has been looking into streamlining the company’s focus to improve margins and shift into more lucrative growth areas. So far, so good.
One of the more drastic measures is eliminating diabetes and cardiovascular research sector of the company.
Funding for these was reallocated, with the acquisition of cancer and auto-immune biotechnology company Synthorx serving as a strong indication of the direction the company plans to take.
Apart from growing its immuno-oncology department, Sanofi is also betting on eczema treatment Dupixent -- a move that saw them rewarded almost immediately.
The company’s recent earnings report showed that Dupixent sales jumped 135% in the fourth quarter of 2019, with annual sales soaring to an impressive $2.3 billion. This indicates a 152% increase from the year prior.
Riding this momentum, Sanofi received FDA approval to expand the use of multiple myeloma drug Sarclisa in April.
This marks another significant win for the company.
Multiple myeloma ranks second in the list of most common blood cancer types, with the disease affecting roughly 32,000 Americans annually. It cannot be cured as well, which means that treatments are needed throughout the patients’ lives.
Needless to say, Sanofi has several platforms to contribute to finding the cure and even a vaccine for COVID-19. More importantly, the company has managed to transform itself into a more streamlined and innovative business.
Sanofi would be a wise choice for investors interested in a stock to hold for the long term. This company doesn’t only hold a starring role in the search for a coronavirus vaccine but also offers more opportunities beyond the current pandemic.
Meanwhile, GSK is also not limiting its adjuvant technology to Sanofi but to other companies developing COVID-19 vaccines as well. The list includes Vir Biotechnology (VIR) and even Chinese biotech company Clover Biopharmaceuticals.
Despite its active participation in the coronavirus vaccine race, GSK tumbled down to over its 10-year low in March.
Although the pandemic’s negative impact looks discouraging, I think the overreaction is good news for value and dividend traders as the stock now trades at bargain-bin valuations.
Hence, investors could enjoy GSK’s lucrative 5.8% dividend at relatively cheap costs.
It also doesn’t hurt that GSK offers a diversified portfolio that all but guarantees minimal losses for its investors.
Its biggest revenue driver is the pharmaceutical arm of the business, which raked in total revenue of roughly $21.68 billion in 2019.
GSK’s vaccine segment contributed 8.87 billion while the consumer healthcare sector brought in over 11 billion.
Although smaller than its pharmaceutical arm, both segments are quickly catching up to GSK’s biggest moneymaker. In fact, its vaccine segment recorded revenue growth of 21% while its consumer healthcare arm jumped by 17%.
Overall, GSK is a compelling addition to any investor’s portfolio. Its impressive dividend combined with its diversified business makes this biotechnology company a wise choice as well.
The collaboration of GSK and Sanofi is considered as the most significant and promising COVID-19 vaccine effort to date.
This partnership not only maximizes the expertise of the two leading vaccine makers in the world but takes advantage of their manufacturing capacity as well, which is a critical concern given that a COVID-19 vaccine would have to be distributed to millions, if not billions, of individuals across the globe.
Mad Hedge Biotech & Healthcare Letter
April 14, 2020
Fiat Lux
Featured Trade:
(ELI LILLY’S CORONA LEAP FORWARD)
(LLY), (GSK)
Eli Lilly (LLY) is one of the major biotechnology companies that have been working double-time to develop a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cure, and the company shared its progress in this field.
According to this top biotech company, its partnership with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases will explore the potential of Olumiant as a COVID-19 treatment.
This drug was first approved in June 2018 as a rheumatoid arthritis medication. Health experts believe that its anti-inflammatory effects on the immune system could be effective as a COVID-19 cure.
The clinical trial for Olumiant will involve COVID-19 patients in the US, with results available within two months.
Other than this Olumiant trial, Eli Lilly has another potential COVID-19 clinical trial already in Phase 2 for an experimental antibody treatment currently dubbed LY3127804.
This trial will involve pneumonia patients diagnosed with COVID-19. These patients are at a higher risk of acquiring acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The antibody treatment trial is slated to begin by late April at several US centers.
Apart from these experimental treatments, Eli Lilly is also taking an active part in providing testing centers to frontliners in its home state Indiana.
In March, Eli Lilly launched drive-through testing centers for active healthcare workers. This initiative was in partnership with the Indiana State Department of Health and backed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Eli Lilly’s centers test for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is the type that caused COVID-19. This service is offered free of charge to frontliners.
Outside its COVID-19 efforts, Eli Lilly has been active in developing its pipeline.
The latest deal towards this end is with privately held company Sitryx, which focuses on creating drugs for cancer and inflammatory diseases.
The partnership involves a five-year collaboration culminating in the development of four drugs. Eli Lilly has already selected two lead projects from Sitryx’s pipeline to be the first drugs they’ll submit for licensing.
Founded in 2018, all projects in Sitryx’s pipeline are still in the preclinical phase. The company is also comprised of widely known immunology experts, with another biotech heavyweight GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) contributing to its technology.
According to the terms of the collaboration, Sitryx will handle drug discovery while Eli Lilly will fund the clinical development as well as the marketing efforts.
Sitryx will get $50 million from Eli Lilly upfront, with the Indianapolis biotech company making an additional $10 million equity investment.
Meanwhile, the smaller biotech is eligible to almost $820 million if the development milestones are reached. Sytrix is also entitled for royalties.
Amid the pandemic, Eli Lilly is riding the momentum of its previous quarters and is still aiming to deliver a promising growth this year.
Coming off a strong 2019 fourth quarter, the company saw an 8% year over year growth in its top line. The entire year’s sales also went up by a modest 4% from how much they earned in 2018.
As for earnings per share (EPS), the said quarter showed off an impressive 49% year over year jump to reach $1.64. Meanwhile, the entirety of 2019 recorded an EPS of $8.89 which is more than twice 2018’s $3.13 total.
For Eli Lilly’s 2020 performance, the company is anticipating more growth, especially after the completion of its $1.1 billion all-cash acquisition of Dermira.
This acquisition opens a plethora of opportunities for Eli Lilly, particularly in the dermatology medicines sector.
A prime example to illustrate potential growth is Dermira’s top-selling product Qbrexza, which is used to treat excessive underarm sweating. This bestselling item boosted Eli Lilly’s quarterly sales by 27%, increasing the revenue from $8.1 million to $10.2 million.
Even without the collaborations, Eli Lilly can stand on its own as a solid buy.
The company has shown a strong operating margin, staying over 20% in all the previous 10 quarters. Moreover, its free cash flow of $3.5 billion and consistent revenue generation platforms through the years, Eli Lilly is in a good position to take on more acquisitions down the road.
Basically, Eli Lilly is ideal for investors on the lookout for a biotech stock that you can buy and just forget.
Only a handful of sectors managed to escape the coronavirus pandemic unscathed as practically every stock suffered a 20% drop over the course of the past months. I believe there’s one group that merits our attention even in the midst of this pandemonium: the biotech sector.
I think biotech stocks will roar back soon enough, and buying shares of solid and well-managed biotech companies that pride themselves with promising product lineups and solid pipelines should be rewarded in the long run.
Among these biotech stocks, Eli Lilly is one of the best-positioned growth stories. Investors searching for a port in this coronavirus storm might want to take a good look at this biotech stock.
Global Market Comments
March 31, 2020
Fiat Lux
Featured Trade:
(MORE PLAYERS ENTER THE RACE FOR A CORONA CURE)
(MRNA), (ARCT), (JNJ), (SNY), (GOVX), (ALT), (NVAX), (GSK), (GNBT), (VXL.V), (INO), (APDN), (CADILAHC)
Mad Hedge Biotech & Healthcare Letter
March 31, 2020
Fiat Lux
Featured Trade:
(MORE PLAYERS ENTER THE RACE FOR A CORONA CURE)
(MRNA), (ARCT), (JNJ), (SNY), (GOVX), (ALT), (NVAX), (GSK), (GNBT), (VXL.V), (INO), (APDN), (CADILAHC)
Special issue on COVID-19 vaccines: Moderna Inc (MRNA), Arcturus (ARCT), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Sanofi (SNY), GeoVax (GOVX), Altimmune (ALT), Novavax (NVAX), GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Generex (GNBT), Vaxil Bio (VXL.V), Inovio Pharmaceuticals (INO), Applied DNA Sciences (APDN), Zydus Cadila (CADILAHC)
The hunt is definitely underway for potential treatments to fight COVID-19 but coming up with vaccines will take a much longer time.
Since we already have the genetic code of the novel coronavirus (click here for the link), researchers can now use the complete blueprint to come up with ways to defeat this disease.
With code in hand, it takes a supercomputer just three hours to create model vaccines. Then it is just a question of how fast you can make them, if at all. Many proposed models are far beyond our existing technology.
To date, there are roughly 35 companies and academic organizations actively seeking ways to come up with a COVID-19 vaccine. While the process will still take time, there are several promising prospects.
Among the companies working on this, Moderna Inc (MRNA) has been recognized as the first biotechnology company to conduct human trials to test its COVID-19 vaccine in March. The trial includes 45 males and non-pregnant females aged 18 to 55.
Moderna’s vaccine utilizes the genetic sequence of the novel coronavirus. Basically, the goal is to build a vaccine out of messenger RNA.
Aside from Moderna, another biotech company called Curevac has been at the forefront of this cutting-edge technology.
In China, RNACure Biopharma has been working with Fudan University and Shanghai JiaoTong University on using the same technique to come up with a vaccine as well.
China’s CDC along with Tongji University and Stermina as well as Duke-NUS in partnership with Arcturus (ARCT) are also using a similar approach.
Although Moderna’s vaccine reached Phase 1 in record time, authorities cautioned that the development time frame is somewhere between 12 and 18 months — and this is even dubbed as an “overly optimistic” timeline.
Meanwhile, there are companies like Sanofi Pasteur (SNY) elected to use previously deployed vaccine platforms in earlier epidemics like SARS.
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) also decided to employ the same strategy using its Ebola vaccine platform. In fact, JNJ shared that it’ll be ready to conduct human testing of its non-replicating viral vector by November.
Aside from JNJ, another biotechnology company in China called CanSino Biologics (HKG: 6185) in collaboration with the Academy of Military Medical Sciences is utilizing the same technology.
Just last week, Chinese authorities approved CanSino’s Phase 1 clinical trials.
Apart from JNJ and CanSino, other biotechnology companies are also working on a vaccine using the same non-replicating viral vector technology.
The list includes Wuhan’s BravoVax along with GeoVax (GOVX), Altimmune (ALT), Vaxart (VXRT), Greffex, and the University of Oxford.
Another strategy is employed by Novavax (NVAX), which is to construct a “recombinant” vaccine.
In a nutshell, this strategy entails extraction of the genetic code for the protein found on the Sars-CoV-2. This is a part of the virus that can trigger the immune system. This will then be pasted into the genome of a bacterium or yeast.
In effect, this vaccine will force the microorganisms to produce huge quantities of the protein to be able to fight off the virus.
Big biotechnology companies like Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) are following the same technique.
Smaller firms are also in on the action including Generex Biotechnology Corporation (GNBT), Vaxil Bio (VXL.V), EpiVax, and Clover Biopharmaceuticals.
The University of Georgia, Baylor College of Medicine, and the University of Miami are pursuing the same lead as well.
On top of these, several biotechnology companies use a DNA-based approach to come up with a vaccine.
Last March 12, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provided a $5 million grant to Pennsylvania-based biotech firm Inovio Pharmaceuticals (INO) to help the company speed up the tests needed for its DNA vaccine called INO-4800.
This is on top of the roughly $9 million in funding it received from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations earlier.
At the moment, INO-4800 is in preclinical studies with plans to push it to Phase 1 clinical trials by April.
Aside from Inovio, Applied DNA Sciences (APDN), Zydus Cadila (CADILAHC), Takis, and Evivax are also pursuing the same strategy.
Despite implementing the most effective and even draconian measures to contain COVID-19, these tactics only managed to slow down the spread of the virus.
With the World Health Organization tagging this situation as a pandemic, everyone has become more desperate in the search for a vaccine because only a vaccine can stop people from getting sick.
However, even the unprecedented speeds afforded, the biotechnology companies couldn’t change the fact that developing a vaccine requires at least a year. It’s crucial to not make mistakes along the way especially since the product could potentially be injected into most of the world’s population.
After all, there’s only a single thing that can be considered worse than a bad virus — and that is a bad vaccine.
