The appetite for biopharma IPOs this year has been voracious with no signs of a slowdown anytime soon. Year-to-date, a total of $14.63 billion was raised from 66 new global issues, a total that is already well ahead of the $10.7 billion in 2018, from 80 transactions, that represented the previous record for IPOs. In terms of volume, BioWorld has recorded that the highest number of IPOs in a single year was 84 in 2014, followed by 83 in 2000.

BEIJING – Biologics developer Genor Biopharma Co. Ltd. raised HK$2.69 billion (US$347 million) via a pre-revenue IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Oct. 7, with shares (HKEX:6998) trading 16.25% higher to close at HK$27.95.

Two well-received precision oncology IPOs closed out the week, joined by a successful ophthalmic specialty IPO and an immunotherapy debut that fell flat. P53 mutation hunter PMV Pharmaceuticals Inc. charged out the gate, raising $211.8 million, while Prelude Therapeutics Inc. took in $158.2 million.

Outset Medical Inc. closed its Nasdaq IPO Thursday with gross proceeds of approximately of $277.9 million. The IPO, which launched Tuesday, included nearly 10.3 million shares of common stock at $27 per share and the full exercise of underwriters’ option to purchase more than 1.3 million additional shares. Shares of the San Jose, Calif.-based company’s stock, which is trading under the ticker OM, soared to more than $60 on the first day of trading amid enthusiasm for its portable dialysis machine.

LONDON – Sleep disorder specialist Nyxoah SA hit the top end of its price range of €17 per share, raising €84.75 million (US$100) million in its initial public offering. Assuming full exercise of the over-allotment option, the company will have a market capitalization of €375.26 million. The shares began trading on Euronext Brussels (EBR:NYXH) on Sept. 18, and had a good first day, closing up 14.7%, at €19.50.

Upsized IPOs for high-profile psychedelics venture Compass Pathways plc and the neurodegenerative specialist Athira Pharma Inc. debuted on Nasdaq on Sept. 18, climbing fast alongside a forward-looking follow-on offering from cytokine storm fighter Humanigen Inc. Compass (NASDAQ:CMPS) raised $127.5 million, while Athira (NASDAQ:ATHA) brought in $204 million. Humanigen (NASDAQ:HGEN) raised $68 million.

Portable dialysis machine manufacturer Outset Medical Inc. saw its shares soar after the opening of its Nasdaq IPO. The stock rose as high as $61.60 before closing at $60.68, finishing the day with a market cap of nearly $2.5 billion. Trading under the ticker symbol OM, the company priced 8.95 million of its shares at $27 apiece, upsizing its previously reported plans to offer 7.6 million shares between $22 and $24. The offering is set to close Sept. 17.

Athira Pharma Inc.’s proposed $100 million IPO, along with a filing by Virios Therapeutics LLC to raise $35 million on Aug. 28, helped propel a supercharged amount of investment in 2020 that shows no sign of slowing. The pace is unusually swift this year despite hindrances from COVID-19. The total value of IPOs so far in 2020 is $12.95 billion, with 54 completed, easily outpacing 2019’s $8.64 billion.