Deals
5 Factors for Evaluating Investments in the Retina Space
As noted in a previous installment, innovators in the retina space sometimes utilize ex-US partnerships for financing the expensive process of taking drugs and devices all the way through development. But innovators must consider a number of other critical factors – five to be exact: whether to work with a small or a large investment…
Read MoreAs Retina Innovators Look Outside US for Funding, Here’s What to Watch Out For
CHICAGO – As innovation in the retina space has grown over the past quarter century, so has the need for capital to finance those activities. One way innovators are meeting that need is by entering into partnerships with ex-US entities, one of many issues explored by a panel session on financing retina innovation at OIS@ASRS…
Read MoreA Closer Look at Glaukos’ Bid for Avedro
Early market reaction to Glaukos Corp.’s all-stock acquisition of Avedro Inc. was mixed; a decrease in stock price for Glaukos and an increase for Avedro. Despite that lukewarm reaction, the acquisition has the potential to bring together companies with complementary platforms and improve Glaukos’ scale for R&D. Glaukos, based in San Clemente, CA, is focused…
Read MoreOIS Index Posts Modest Gain for Q2; Ophthalmic Market Leader Alcon Joins Index
The OIS Index of ophthalmic stocks posted a modest positive return of +0.8% during the second quarter of 2019. The index outperformed the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (–2.4%) but lagged the overall US stock market as measured by the Russell 3000 Index (+4.3%) and a composite of US medical device stocks (+4%). Declining stocks in the…
Read MoreA Closer Look at AbbVie-Allergan Deal and Where Eye Care Fits In
NEW YORK – In what’s been called “a transformative move for both companies,” AbbVie has agreed to buy Allergan in a deal valued at $63 billion. Reaction from the investor community was deeply mixed. The announcement on Tuesday set off the worst day for AbbVie’s stock since it was spun off from its parent company,…
Read MoreWhy Equity and M&A Markets in Ophthalmology Are Poised for a Great Run
SAN DIEGO – Although the 10-year bull market is bound to end one of these days, the trend in ophthalmology and healthcare in general is a continued strong year, according to J.P. Peltier, managing director, global head, healthcare investment banking at Piper Jaffray. Peltier gave his overview of the equity and M&A markets in ophthalmology…
Read MoreA Dozen Takeaways from OIS@ASCRS 2019
Last week’s OIS@ASCRS 2019 saw a record number of registrants, and the 650 attendees were treated to a wealth of information from the presenting companies, many on the dais for the first time at an Ophthalmology Innovation Summit. Here’s an even dozen takeaways. Vicken Karageozian, MD, president and CEO of Allegro Ophthalmics, gave a preview…
Read MoreOIS@ASCRS Features New Sessions, Companies
OIS@ASCRS 2019 will convene next Thursday, May 2, preceding the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting in San Diego. This year’s OIS@ASCRS features a few new additions, as OIS co-founder and Healthegy CEO Craig Simak points out. These include a switch from the “Masters of the Industry” session to “The Emerging Leaders…
Read MoreOIS Index Delivers Stellar First-Quarter 2019 Performance
The OIS Index of ophthalmic stocks solidly outperformed its market benchmarks in the first quarter of 2019, gaining 37.1%. During Q1, the overall US stock market, as measured by the Russell 3000 Index, gained 12.8%. The NASDAQ Biotechnology Index gained 15.4%, and a composite of US medical device stocks gained 15.9%. For the OIS Index,…
Read MoreBiogen Jumps Back into Ophthalmology Gene Therapy with Nightstar Acquisition
It didn’t take Biogen long to jump back into ophthalmology after announcing its intention in December 2018 to terminate a collaborative agreement with Applied Genetic Technologies Corp. Last week, about 11 weeks after nixing the AGTC deal, Biogen entered into an agreement to acquire another clinical-stage gene therapy company with promising programs in ophthalmology, Nightstar…
Read MoreHow Glaucoma Device Companies Raise Funding to Navigate ‘Death Valley’
SAN FRANCISCO – At the Glaucoma 360 New Horizons Forum here, Emmett Cunningham, Jr., MD, PhD, moderating a panel on financing for emerging glaucoma device companies, described the “early Death Valley” that panel participants know all too well. To get beyond Death Valley, medical device companies have to think creatively. Here’s how some of those…
Read More10 Takeaways from Roche’s $4.8 Billion Offer to Acquire Spark Therapeutics
Here are 10 things to know about Roche’s $4.8 billion bid to acquire Spark Therapeutics. Roche’s $114.5-a-share offer is a 122% premium over the closing price of Spark’s stock ($51.54) on February 22. On the day the offer was announced, Spark’s shares shot up to $113.48. In 2018, Spark shipped 75 vials of $425,000-per-eye Luxturna…
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