PERTH, Australia – On the heels of a A$90 million (US$67.12 million) initial public offering on the Australian Securities Exchange, device company Trajan Group Holdings Ltd. has doubled its share price and is well poised for its next stage of global growth. Trajan makes precision consumable products, devices and solutions that used in analyzing biological samples.
Rokit Healthcare Inc. received approval from South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) for Dfurege, its artificial organ platform to treat diabetic foot ulcers. “We hope that having a South Korean approval for this platform will be a boost for our planned IPO,” Seok Hwan You, CEO at Rokit, told BioWorld.
China’s ongoing efforts to tighten regulations across the board is hitting medical device companies. Two companies that issued shares in Hong Kong for the first time over the past week saw their shares tumble right out of the gate. Acotec Scientific Holdings Ltd. (HK: 6669) shares fell more than 25% on their first trading day on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Aug. 24 amid regulatory changes in China’s health care industry.
Shanghai Heartcare Medical Technology Co. Ltd. shares took a hard fall in their Aug. 20 debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE), closing at HK$129 (US$107.47) after tumbling all the way down to HK$127.8 earlier in the day.
While the 441 med-tech financings completed so far this year are nearly as much as this point last year (446), the amount of money raised, at $33.43 billion, is 17% below the amount raised through early August of 2020 ($40.14 billion). Just two months ago, the volume of financings was 10% higher than last year, indicating a recent slowdown in activity. Nevertheless, 2021 appears to be on track to beat the $40.7 billion raised in 2019, and it is already ahead of the full year amounts for 2017 and 2018.
PERTH, Australia – After raising A$10 million (US$7.36 million) in its initial public offering on the Australian Securities Exchange, BCAL Diagnostics Ltd. is racing to commercialize its noninvasive, blood-based in vitro diagnostic to detect breast cancer. The Breast Cancer Associated Lipids (BCAL) test is taken via a blood sample and analyzed for lipid biomarkers.
SD Biosensor Inc. made a splash in its KOSPI board debut on July 16, raising a total ₩776.4 billion (US$679.26 million). The company will now use the funds to mass-produce and promote the company’s diagnostic machines for various indications, including COVID-19.
Heartflow Holding Inc. is aiming to bring its noninvasive, artificial intelligence (AI)-based test for coronary heart disease to more doctors and patients via a merger with Longview Acquisition Corp. II. The deal, valued at an enterprise value of about $2.4 billion, is the latest in a steady stream of med techs queueing up to go public via a “blank check” special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) this year.
Healthcare Capital Corp. (HCC), a special purpose acquisition company, will combine with Alpha Tau Medical Ltd. to create a Nasdaq-listed company with an implied pro forma equity value of approximately $1 billion. Gross proceeds from the transaction, expected to close by year end 2021, are projected to total $367 million.
Hyerfine Inc. and Liminal Sciences Inc. have joined a growing field of med-tech startups that are combining with blank check companies as an alternative path for venture-backed companies to an initial public offering (IPO). On Thursday, the companies announced a three-way combination with Healthcor Catalio Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), in a deal valued at approximately $580 million.