Health Check: Don't dis-May! ASX biotechs record strong year-on-year share gains
Emvision and Paradigm open more pivotal trial sites
Capital raisings click over
MedAdvisor (ASX:MDR) is the ASX hero biotech of an otherwise subdued May, stacking on more than 52% in market capitalisation for the month.
The medication compliance group said it had found a probable buyer for its Australian operations, thus spurring the rally.
This supersized effort eclipsed Dimerix's (ASX:DXB) 24% surge, on the back of its May 1 news of a US distribution deal for its putative kidney disease drug.
The numbers are based on Biotech Daily's top 40 index, which records the performance of the biggest stocks.
The newsletter also recorded the Big Four – CSL (ASX:CSL), ResMed (ASX:RMD), ProMedicus (ASX:PME) and Cochlear (ASX:COH) – separately.
Overall, the top 40 eased 2.6%, with Avita Medical (ASX:AVH) leading the decliners with a 40% tumble and Imugene (ASX:IMU) shedding 37%.
shares lost 6%, translating to $555 million of lost value.
Don't dis-May
But don't dis-May too much: the sector's still up 9.7% year on year, just eclipsing the overall market's 9.5% increment.
The Big Four gained 2.6%, thanks to Pro Medicus's 21% rebound from subdued levels.
Investors had to go beyond the top 40 for the best return: pot and psychedelic drug play Incannex Healthcare (ASX:IHL) climbed 300 per cent, albeit having plunged 80% in April.
We're doing better than our American friends, with the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index shedding 4.2% for the month.
The index is also down 7% over the past 12 months.
On trial
In trial news, EMvision Medical Devices (ASX:EMV) is poised to activate its third US site in its pivotal trial of its bedside stroke detection device, Emu.
The site is at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, a recognised leader in stroke research and treatment.
The company is activating its second Australian site this week, at Sydney's Liverpool Hospital (a large stroke referral centre).
These activations will bring the total of sites activated in the pivotal (validation) trial to five.
These include Houston's UTHealth and Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Centre, Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville and the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
The study aims for US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for Emu, under the new device route.
Knees up
Paradigm Biopharmaceuticals (ASX:PAR) has activated the first of 11 proposed sites, for the local leg of its phase III knee osteoarthritis trial.
Melbourne's Sportsmed Biologic is the first site, with the treatment overseen by prominent sports physician Dr Philip Bloom.
The other sites are in 'various stages of start-up and activation'.
Meanwhile, 48 sites are in advanced preparation stages.
The study is pitched at FDA approval for Paradigm's repurposed drug candidate, to treat the common and debilitating condition.
Capital-raising corner
While finding a dime in the sector remains difficult, companies are managing decent smaller raisings.
Shrugging off its US reimbursement setback, Pacific Edge (ASX:PEB) today upsized its NZ$15 million placement to NZ$16 million, with the board accepting oversubscriptions.
A NZ$5 million share purchase plan (SPP) is yet to come.
The offer is priced at NZ10 cents a share, a healthy 20% premium to the 20-day weighted average price.
The raising is partly to grow sales channels for its non-invasive bladder cancer assay Cxbladder, independent of US Medicare reimbursement.
Pacific Edge's Medicare coverage ceased in April, after a code pertaining to genetic oncology testing was excised.
Not surpisingly, the company wants to re-gain this funding via legal and other means of suasion.
Also today, Recce Pharmaceuticals (ASX:RCE) said it had placed a $7.4 million shortfall from its recent entitlement offer.
This takes total proceeds from its capital raising to $15.8 million.
The funds will support the synthetic anti-infective outfit's phase III trials, in Indonesia and locally.
The Indonesian study treats diabetic foot infections, while the local effort is for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections.
Meanwhile heart device play Cardiex (ASX:CDX) has raised $2.4 million in an insto placement at 4 cents a share, with a $4.1 million rights issue opening on Friday.
And OncoSil Medical (ASX:OSL) has raised $6.7 million in a placement and hopes an SPP will reap another $2 million.
The price is one-third of a cent, a circa 20% discount.
The funds will support the Oncosil's eponymous pancreatic cancer targeted radiation device.
Thirty geographies have approved the tool, including Europe and the UK.
Best of British biotech
Data analytics house Global Data reports that venture financing for UK biopharmaceutical companies doubled in the March quarter, to US$1.1 billion.
This is the highest quarterly total since 2021.
This foreign investment surge also highlights danger for the Brit
'Growing dependence on US capital and policy-driven cost pressures signal an urgent need to strengthen domestic investment for sustainable growth.'
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News.com.au
40 minutes ago
- News.com.au
The Geelong suburbs where home prices soared since Covid
Time is on the side of people who bought homes in Geelong in the first year of the Covid pandemic, new data reveals. New PropTrack research reveals people who bought homes in the 12 months to July 2020 are sitting pretty on potential five-year value gains of between 10 and 100 per cent. Only one Geelong suburb shows a price fall over that time, a 3.3 per cent decline for Geelong West units. The growth figures underline how dramatic the restrictions on the movement of people in Melbourne were on regional property prices during the pandemic, as thousands sought to leave the lockdown capital. Mid-century home designed by AFL great up for sale Dan Andrews' ring of steel locked in the unprecedented boom in home prices as waves of Melbourne people – many buying sight-unseen – accelerated demand for property. It wasn't to last though, with Geelong now coming out of a two-year downturn as the market absorbed the abnormal growth. The data reveals Rippleside as the standout suburb, with a 104 per cent median price gain over five years (worth $850,000) skewed by the waterfront Balmoral Quay development. A renovation boom made its mark at inner-west Manifold Heights, where the median house price has jumped nearly 60 per cent to $1.175m. But next-ring suburbs stood up best during the downturn. Whittington, St Albans Park, Bell Post Hill, Herne Hill and Corio houses banked median price growth between 30 and 40 per cent over five years, with inner-city South Geelong and outer suburban Lovely Banks and Marshall rounding out the city's 10 best-performing suburbs. Geelong buyers advocate Tony Slack said the strength of the growth over five years demonstrated the owning property for value gain was still a long-term proposition. 'You always should be looking at least five to seven years because of that cycle. That's just natural growth – plateau – growth – plateau. You need time in the market,' he said. Mr Slack said the pandemic boom was unique as it was driven predominantly by owner occupiers, with the negative result for Geelong West units put down to an oversupply and fewer investment buyers. Gartland Geelong agent Will Ainsworth said new development and renovations contributed significantly to the growth, especially in smaller suburbs such as Rippleside and Manifold Heights, but rising prices for inner suburbs also pushed demand further from the CBD. 'Eight to 10 years ago it would have been the suburbs closer to the CBD than those (that had the best growth),' he said. 'You've got East Geelong or Newcomb, and now you've got Whittington and St Albans Park. 'It's that next or third suburb from the CBD that became the affordable one, because that second one had taken off and become a bit less affordable,' he said. 'There's equity in two ways – improving the value in a renovation or waiting for the market to increase, or doing both. 'One of them is probably going to work, two of them are going to work better.' Geelong's best growth in five years: houses Suburb Median price 5 year change Rippleside $1,665,000 104.3% Manifold Heights $1,175,000 59.3% Whittington $540,000 40.3% Lovely Banks $805,000 40.0% St Albans Park $600,000 36.2% Bell Post Hill $655,000 35.1% Corio $490,000 34.2% Herne Hill $700,000 30.8% South Geelong $890,000 29.4% Marshall $630,000 28.8% Mr Ainsworth said buyers had become more sensible again, but there were still tricky conversations with vendors who bought at the height of the boom. 'If they bought for $1m, now it might be worth $950,000. The owners might want $1.05m to get their money back. You've got a $100,000 or 10 per cent differential that you can't bring that together – that's too big a price gap.' Hayeswinckle, East Geelong director Tiffany Simpson said returning confidence and interstate investors were improving values in areas like St Albans Park, where bigger properties offer better bang for buck. 'In almost the first six months of 2025 in St Albans Park we are up 10 per cent up on where we were last year – that's due to investors coming back in to the market,' she said. 'A lot of first-time buyers are able to stretch past $600,000, given a couple of interest rate cuts. 'The confidence has definitely returned and they feel more relaxed to able be able to fully use their borrowing potential.' Geelong's best growth in five years: units Suburb Median price 5 year change Newtown $603,000 36.4% Norlane $392,500 32.2% Bell Park $524,000 29.4% Newcomb $480,000 28.0% Corio $385,000 24.2% Whittington $375,000 22.5% Belmont $530,000 22.4% Herne Hill $355,000 22.1% Highton $502,000 21.0% Grovedale $500,000 20.1% McGrath, Geelong agent Jasmin Jurkovic said values in suburbs such as Bell Post Hill had responded as neighbouring areas heated up. 'The demographics are changing – it was a very ageing population with 80-plus year old migrants that came here 55 years ago and the built their dream home,' Ms Jurkovic said. 'The younger generation has gravitated here and appreciated the value they've got for families with land size, affordability for a good, solid brick home and all the conveniences.' Corio is the most-popular suburb in the top 10, where 291 houses sold in 12 months. The median house price has jumped from $365,000 in 2020 to $490,000. 'I became all about the bigger blocks and affordability and people were landbanking and going, 'well, it's an hour to Melbourne, first-time buyers will gravitate here if we build units',' she said. 'There's a lot of construction and building taking place and the yield was good because when you were buying something for $350,000, and the rent was about $300 to $280.'
ABC News
44 minutes ago
- ABC News
The unexpected realities of receiving a cancer diagnosis when young
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Determined to finish her degree, Ashlynn was soon juggling the physical demands of intense daily chemotherapy and trying to finish university assignments in hospital. "Just even standing was really hard," she said. "If I sometimes couldn't pack my bag, my mum or my sister had to pack it for me and then I'd get in the car and drive myself to chemo." She's one of an emerging group of young people receiving a cancer diagnosis. For this generation, there are limited supports. Dr Peter Diamond, Chair of Cancer Council's Supportive Care Committee, said younger patients typically accessed information online and the Cancer Council were seeing an increase in the number of clicks on information relating to cancers for younger people. "The big thing that we hear about, if you are diagnosed and have young children, is how do you talk to young children and teenagers about cancer," he said. 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Reflecting on it now, Ashlynn said while there were many children's cancer charities and support groups, there were few options for young women. There was also limited publicly funded psychological help, especially to help navigate the anxiety around regular scans and concerns over her fertility. "Finding that new normal is a real challenge," she said. Unable to work, the medical bills started to add up and without large savings, she struggled financially. "It just it took a toll on me. Can you afford your medication? Can you afford getting fuel?" At a practical level, Ashlynn said what would have helped was transport to chemo appointments, with hospital parking costs alone adding up to about $500 during her three-month treatment. For Andrew Saliba, a bowel cancer diagnosis not only brought the perils of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, but he had to navigate its side effects while juggling two small children. 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The couple were still paying off their house and as Andrew's treatments ramped up, he had to give up his job as an electrician, placing the family in financial difficulty. He said if it were not for employer-supplied income protection insurance, they would not have stayed afloat. "The biggest thought I had was, 'What's going to happen to my family if I'm not here?', because I was the main income earner." In the darkest days, Andrew wanted to give up treatment many times, but he said it was after he had his stoma removed that the real problems began. A stoma is a surgically created opening in the abdomen with a bag attached to collect stool. As his bowel recovered, Andrew found himself needing to go to the toilet between 20 and 50 times a day and he didn't leave the house for three months. Returning to work seemed impossible, but eventually he got on top of things, with the help of nutritionists from Bowel Cancer Australia. Even barbecues with friends took on a different flavour with Andrew needing to bring his own food and cook it in the oven instead of on charcoal to help keep his bowels in check. "It definitely sucks now I can't really drink much because it makes my stomach play up — I can't have a barbecue cooked on charcoal. "Going to a restaurant is hard because I can't eat garlic. I can't eat onions." These days, Andrew is trying to make the most of life and has scaled back at work to coach his daughters' rugby league teams. "I kind of used to be work first, now I'm a bit more family first." Andrew said a practical support for anyone going through bowel cancer would include a referral to a nutritionist who could offer advice to help manage bowel movements. "The nutritionist helped me probably the most out of anyone. I had to eat smaller meals. I went straight to eating boiled rice and a few veggies and really watching what fibre I ate." 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The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Australia, UK to ink 50-year deal to underpin AUKUS
Australia and the UK will ink a 50-year deal to underpin delivery of the AUKUS nuclear submarine agreement, amid concerns about a US review of the trilateral pact. AUKUS, formed in 2021 between Australia, the UK and US to address shared concerns about China's rising military ambition, is designed to enable Australia to acquire nuclear-powered attack submarines in the 2040s. But doubts have been raised about the future of the $368 billion program after the Trump administration this year initiated a review of the deal to examine if it met its "American First" criteria. Defence Minister Richard Marles said he remained confident about the future of US involvement on the eve of Australia and the UK signing a multi-decade bilateral deal cementing their commitment. "It is a profoundly important treaty that we will sign," Mr Marles said on Friday alongside Foreign Minister Penny Wong and their British counterparts John Healey and David Lammy. "It forms part of a trilateral agreement that we have and we are really confident about the progress of all three countries in bringing that to fruition." The treaty, to be signed in Geelong on Saturday, would allow "comprehensive co-operation" on the design, build, operation, sustainment, and disposal of AUKUS submarines, the ministers said in a joint statement. It will also support development of personnel, workforce, infrastructure and regulatory systems for Australia's nuclear-powered submarine program, the statement said. Mr Lammy said the treaty showed the strength of Australia and the UK's commitment to AUKUS. "It's clear that the UK-Australia relationship is an anchor in what is a very volatile world, providing stability in troubled waters and a relationship that holds steady whichever way the geopolitical winds are blowing," he said. Mr Healey said the UK was confident it could meet its obligations under the deal on industrial capacity to deliver SSN-AUKUS submarines. "We have the technology and the designs to be able to deliver our commitments to the SSN-AUKUS and we will," he said. Australia will pay $5 billion to support British industry to design and produce nuclear reactors to power the future AUKUS-class submarines. Australia will acquire at least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the early 2030s. On Sunday, the ministers will visit Darwin to observe joint military exercises known as Talisman Sabre, which comprise more than 30,000 personnel from 19 militaries. This year, the war games involve the UK's Carrier Strike Group, led by the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales - the first UK carrier strike group to visit Australia since 1997. Australia and the UK will ink a 50-year deal to underpin delivery of the AUKUS nuclear submarine agreement, amid concerns about a US review of the trilateral pact. AUKUS, formed in 2021 between Australia, the UK and US to address shared concerns about China's rising military ambition, is designed to enable Australia to acquire nuclear-powered attack submarines in the 2040s. But doubts have been raised about the future of the $368 billion program after the Trump administration this year initiated a review of the deal to examine if it met its "American First" criteria. Defence Minister Richard Marles said he remained confident about the future of US involvement on the eve of Australia and the UK signing a multi-decade bilateral deal cementing their commitment. "It is a profoundly important treaty that we will sign," Mr Marles said on Friday alongside Foreign Minister Penny Wong and their British counterparts John Healey and David Lammy. "It forms part of a trilateral agreement that we have and we are really confident about the progress of all three countries in bringing that to fruition." The treaty, to be signed in Geelong on Saturday, would allow "comprehensive co-operation" on the design, build, operation, sustainment, and disposal of AUKUS submarines, the ministers said in a joint statement. It will also support development of personnel, workforce, infrastructure and regulatory systems for Australia's nuclear-powered submarine program, the statement said. Mr Lammy said the treaty showed the strength of Australia and the UK's commitment to AUKUS. "It's clear that the UK-Australia relationship is an anchor in what is a very volatile world, providing stability in troubled waters and a relationship that holds steady whichever way the geopolitical winds are blowing," he said. Mr Healey said the UK was confident it could meet its obligations under the deal on industrial capacity to deliver SSN-AUKUS submarines. "We have the technology and the designs to be able to deliver our commitments to the SSN-AUKUS and we will," he said. Australia will pay $5 billion to support British industry to design and produce nuclear reactors to power the future AUKUS-class submarines. Australia will acquire at least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the early 2030s. On Sunday, the ministers will visit Darwin to observe joint military exercises known as Talisman Sabre, which comprise more than 30,000 personnel from 19 militaries. This year, the war games involve the UK's Carrier Strike Group, led by the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales - the first UK carrier strike group to visit Australia since 1997. Australia and the UK will ink a 50-year deal to underpin delivery of the AUKUS nuclear submarine agreement, amid concerns about a US review of the trilateral pact. AUKUS, formed in 2021 between Australia, the UK and US to address shared concerns about China's rising military ambition, is designed to enable Australia to acquire nuclear-powered attack submarines in the 2040s. But doubts have been raised about the future of the $368 billion program after the Trump administration this year initiated a review of the deal to examine if it met its "American First" criteria. Defence Minister Richard Marles said he remained confident about the future of US involvement on the eve of Australia and the UK signing a multi-decade bilateral deal cementing their commitment. "It is a profoundly important treaty that we will sign," Mr Marles said on Friday alongside Foreign Minister Penny Wong and their British counterparts John Healey and David Lammy. "It forms part of a trilateral agreement that we have and we are really confident about the progress of all three countries in bringing that to fruition." The treaty, to be signed in Geelong on Saturday, would allow "comprehensive co-operation" on the design, build, operation, sustainment, and disposal of AUKUS submarines, the ministers said in a joint statement. It will also support development of personnel, workforce, infrastructure and regulatory systems for Australia's nuclear-powered submarine program, the statement said. Mr Lammy said the treaty showed the strength of Australia and the UK's commitment to AUKUS. "It's clear that the UK-Australia relationship is an anchor in what is a very volatile world, providing stability in troubled waters and a relationship that holds steady whichever way the geopolitical winds are blowing," he said. Mr Healey said the UK was confident it could meet its obligations under the deal on industrial capacity to deliver SSN-AUKUS submarines. "We have the technology and the designs to be able to deliver our commitments to the SSN-AUKUS and we will," he said. Australia will pay $5 billion to support British industry to design and produce nuclear reactors to power the future AUKUS-class submarines. Australia will acquire at least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the early 2030s. On Sunday, the ministers will visit Darwin to observe joint military exercises known as Talisman Sabre, which comprise more than 30,000 personnel from 19 militaries. This year, the war games involve the UK's Carrier Strike Group, led by the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales - the first UK carrier strike group to visit Australia since 1997. Australia and the UK will ink a 50-year deal to underpin delivery of the AUKUS nuclear submarine agreement, amid concerns about a US review of the trilateral pact. AUKUS, formed in 2021 between Australia, the UK and US to address shared concerns about China's rising military ambition, is designed to enable Australia to acquire nuclear-powered attack submarines in the 2040s. But doubts have been raised about the future of the $368 billion program after the Trump administration this year initiated a review of the deal to examine if it met its "American First" criteria. Defence Minister Richard Marles said he remained confident about the future of US involvement on the eve of Australia and the UK signing a multi-decade bilateral deal cementing their commitment. "It is a profoundly important treaty that we will sign," Mr Marles said on Friday alongside Foreign Minister Penny Wong and their British counterparts John Healey and David Lammy. "It forms part of a trilateral agreement that we have and we are really confident about the progress of all three countries in bringing that to fruition." The treaty, to be signed in Geelong on Saturday, would allow "comprehensive co-operation" on the design, build, operation, sustainment, and disposal of AUKUS submarines, the ministers said in a joint statement. It will also support development of personnel, workforce, infrastructure and regulatory systems for Australia's nuclear-powered submarine program, the statement said. Mr Lammy said the treaty showed the strength of Australia and the UK's commitment to AUKUS. "It's clear that the UK-Australia relationship is an anchor in what is a very volatile world, providing stability in troubled waters and a relationship that holds steady whichever way the geopolitical winds are blowing," he said. Mr Healey said the UK was confident it could meet its obligations under the deal on industrial capacity to deliver SSN-AUKUS submarines. "We have the technology and the designs to be able to deliver our commitments to the SSN-AUKUS and we will," he said. Australia will pay $5 billion to support British industry to design and produce nuclear reactors to power the future AUKUS-class submarines. Australia will acquire at least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the early 2030s. On Sunday, the ministers will visit Darwin to observe joint military exercises known as Talisman Sabre, which comprise more than 30,000 personnel from 19 militaries. This year, the war games involve the UK's Carrier Strike Group, led by the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales - the first UK carrier strike group to visit Australia since 1997.
