BEIJING – Beijing-based cellular immunotherapy firm Immunotech Biopharm Ltd. said June 28 that it intends to raise up to HK$1.1 billion (US$141.9 million) on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) on July 10, with shares priced between HK$10.5 and HK$11 apiece.

Although the general markets have bounced around in June and the BioWorld Biopharmaceutical index has dipped almost 5% in the period, the uncertain capital environment has not affected investor appetite for biopharma IPOs.

The pandemic hasn't kept biotechs from going public. In fact, through the first five or so months of the year, the industry has raised more than $3.3 billion through IPOs, more capital than biotechs have raised during the first five months of any of the previous 20 years.

Coming out of the IPO gate strong was Lausanne, Switzerland-based ADC Therapeutics SA, which priced about 12 million shares at $19 each, for gross proceeds of about $232.7 million in an upsized deal. Shares (NYSE:ADCT) ended the day at $29.65, up $10.65, or 56%.

BEIJING – Androgen receptor (AR)-related disease specialist Kintor Pharmaceutical Ltd., of Suzhou, China, is looking to raise up to HK$1.861 billion (US$240 million) in a Hong Kong IPO to advance its small-molecule AR antagonists, proxalutamide and pyrilutamide, both of which have first- and best-in-class potential.

BEIJING – Chinese biosimilar maker Bio-Thera Solutions Ltd., of Guangzhou, on Feb. 21 launched a pre-revenue listing on Shanghai’s STAR market to reap $241 million at a valuation of almost $2 billion.

BEIJING – Chinese biosimilar maker Bio-Thera Solutions Ltd., of Guangzhou, on Feb. 21 launched a pre-revenue listing on Shanghai’s STAR market, a Nasdaq-style tech board, to reap $241 million at a valuation of almost $2 billion. Its share price soared more than 83% during its first trading day.

Biotech investors had every reason to feel bullish heading into the new decade. The sector had turned around in 2019 and was riding a wave of a very strong fourth-quarter performance, with the BioWorld Biopharmaceutical Index closing up 14% for the year after being underwater from April through to September. Unfortunately, those great expectations were quickly erased during J.P. Morgan Healthcare conference week (Jan. 10 – Jan. 17), which turned out to be a very low-key affair absent of any blockbuster M&A revelations. As a result, confidence has now given way to concerns about the prospects for biopharmaceutical companies going forward, particularly as unfavorable political rhetoric on drug pricing will certainly be dialed up during this election year.

PERTH, Australia – Sydney-based Noxopharm Ltd. announced that its spin-off, Nyrada Inc., began trading on Australia’s Securities Exchange (ASX:NYR) on Jan. 16, following an oversubscribed IPO that raised AU$8.5 million (US$5.8 million).