Suzhou, China-headquartered Ascentage Pharma Group Corp. Ltd. has filed plans for a confidential IPO to the U.S. SEC for a potential dual listing on both the U.S. and Hong Kong stock exchanges. News of the U.S. IPO came just a few days after Ascentage drew a $75 million equity investment from Osaka, Japan-headquartered Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. with the issuance of about 24.3 million shares at a purchase price of HK$24.09 (US$3.08) per share.
A week after generating buzz with its proposed Nasdaq listing and plans to raise about $200 million, Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. withdrew its U.S. IPO filing, citing market conditions. The Australian radiopharma firm’s shares continue trading on the Australian Securities Exchange (TLX), where they closed June 14 at AU$16.61 (US$10.98), up AU15 cents.
Chinese artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery firm Quantumpharm Inc., also known as Xtalpi, began trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange June 13, listing under a new special technology listing track that lured it away from an IPO in the U.S.
Phase II-stage Rapport Therapeutics Inc. began trading on Nasdaq June 7 under the ticker RAPP after pricing its IPO of 8 million shares at $17 each to raise $136 million, gaining $3.80, or 22.4%, to close its first day at $20.80. With offices in Boston and San Diego, Rapport is developing drugs for central nervous system (CNS) disorders. The IPO is expected to close June 10.
Biopharma financings rebounded in May, reaching $9.15 billion and marking a 48% increase from $6.18 billion in April. However, value is down from the $13.84 billion in financings seen in March and $22.3 billion in February. This year’s monthly average of $12.52 billion reflects an 112% increase from the average of $5.91 billion per month in 2023.
Australian radiopharmaceutical company Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. announced its IPO on the Nasdaq to raise $200 million to advance its late-stage radiopharma candidates. Headquartered in Melbourne, Telix has operations in the U.S., Europe (Belgium and Switzerland) and Japan with an extensive pipeline of theranostic radiopharmaceutical candidates.
Although the $6.03 billion in biopharma financings raised in April is down from $13.84 billion in financings in March and $22.3 billion in February, the monthly average of $13.29 billion for all financings is up 125% from the average of $5.91 billion a month in 2023.
Orum Therapeutics Inc., of Boston and Daejeon, South Korea, is planning for an IPO on the Korea Exchange by the end of 2024, having passed a technology evaluation required for listing on the Kosdaq, a company spokesperson confirmed to BioWorld.
Boston-based South Korean biotech Genosco Inc. said on April 25 that it passed a technology review required for the special listing track on the tech-heavy Kosdaq market, as it readies an IPO on the Korea Exchange.
Biopharma firms amassed a total of $47.07 billion in the first quarter of 2024, the second-highest quarter recorded by BioWorld since 2011, trailing only behind $48.18 billion raised in 2Q20. This robust fundraising was driven by exceptional performances in IPOs, follow-ons and public/other financings, as well as sustained trends in venture capital raises. The amount marks a 118% increase from $21.62 billion raised in the fourth quarter of 2023 and a 257% rise from 1Q23’s $13.19 billion.