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Federal Budget 2018 & Comment:
Ausbiotech, Bio-Melbourne Network, Biotech Daily
Medicines Australia, AAMRI, Oneventures

Dr Boreham's Crucible: Invitrocue

China's CDH Bids $1.9b For Sirtex - Board Opposes

Biotech Daily Editorial: Something Is Rotten In Optiscan

Dr Boreham's Crucible: Nuheara

Biotech Daily Editorial: Doing The Deal

Merck Pays Viralytics $502m For Cavatak Cancer Immontherapy

Varian Offers $1.6b For Sirtex

2017 - The Year In Review

Biotech Daily Editorial - Selective Briefings 

Biotech Revenue Up 194% In 8 Years To $1.4b

WEHI $405m+ Canada Venetoclax For Cancer Deal

10-Year BDI-40 Up 80%, ASX200 Down 9% Big Caps Up 270%

Novartis Buys Spinifex For $916m

 

 

April BDI-40 Down 1.4%, ASX200 Up 4%
Big Caps Up 8%, NBI Down 3%

 Psivida Up 85%, Volpara 43%; Airxpanders Down 66%, Osprey 45%

May 1, 2018

April was as weird as Melbourne’s Autumn weather.

 

The BDI-40 slipped 1.4 percent for the month but was up 8.6 for the year to April 30, 2018; the ASX200 was up 3.9 percent for the month, but improved just 1.0 percent for the year; while the three Big Caps of Cochlear, CSL and Resmed rose 8.0 percent for the month and 30.9 percent for the year.

 

The Nasdaq Biotechnology Index (NBI) was down 2.95 percent for the month and up 4.5 percent for the year (see charts below).

 

Psivida departed the Biotech Daily Top 40 Index (BDI-40) with an 84.9 percent bang, a raft of big companies had small falls and all three Big Caps hit new record highs.

 

The collective market capitalization of Cochlear, CSL and Resmed (which are not included in the BDI-40) again exceeded $100 billion, with CSL up 9.6 percent to $77,071 million, Cochlear up 6.85 percent to $11,168 million and Resmed up 2.6 percent to $18,119 million.

 

Seventeen of the BDI-40 companies were up, 22 fell and one was unchanged.

 

Psivida was the best, closing its ASX journey up 84.9 percent to $135 million, followed by Volpara up 42.6 percent to $97 million, Genetic Signatures (32.0%), Admedus (22.8%), Clinuvel (18.6%), Immutep (15.9%) and Factor Therapeutics (13.8%).

 

Two seemingly well-run US-based device companies led the falls: Airxpanders tumbled 65.6 percent to $42 million on the departure of chief executive officer Scott Dodson and a 582.5 percent increase in revenue to $US1,754,000 for the three months to March 31, 2018, compared to March 31, 2017 but down $US35 million compared to December 31, 2017; and Osprey fell 45.4 percent to $53 million despite claiming its 14^th consecutive quarter of revenue growth.

 

Ellex fell 27.4 percent to $90 million, followed by Impedimed (24.8%), Universal Biosensors (18.75%), ITL (18.5%), Uscom (12.5%), Opthea (12.3%) and Dimerix (11.1%).

 

The 16 companies in Cannabis Corner rose a collective 10.3 percent to $1,634 million, with Cann Group up a further 20.1 percent to $382 million on rumors of a takeover offer from 22.9 percent owner Aurora Cannabis.

 

In the US, Queensland’s Protagonist recovered 3.0 percent to $243 million, Vaxart (half Biota) fell 49.0 percent to $25 million and Redhill fell 4.2 percent to $137 million.

 

Outside the BDI-40, Invitrocue, Nuheara, Probiotec and several others consolidated gains.

 

With Psivida’s departure and the demotion of Acrux, which is effectively back to the drawing board following the closure of its lead program, Cyclopharm has been promoted into the BDI-20, with Cynata and Prescient promoted into the BDI-40.

 

There will be further changes when Sirtex and Viralytics depart the ASX, expected on May 28 and June 20, respectively.

 

 

BDI-40 v S&P ASX200 Jun 30, 2006 to Apr 30, 2018 

 

BDI-40 v S&P ASX200 Apr 30, 2017 to Apr 30, 2018 

 

 

Big Caps (Cochlear, CSL, Resmed) Year To Apr 30, 2018