Finance Watch: Moderna Launches Biggest Biopharma IPO Ever As US Market Resets Expectations

Public Company Edition: Moderna's $604m IPO launches as the US stock market is in decline and public biotechs are doing especially poorly. Also, as Shire acquisition closing moves near, Takeda firms up additional financing; and Global Blood, Theravance, Amarin capitalize on good news.

Finance Watch

Moderna Inc. launched the much anticipated, largest-ever drug developer initial public offering raising $604.3m on Dec. 6, but the IPO landed with a thud, reflecting ongoing unease in the US stock market, which has been particularly uncomfortable for biotechnology stocks.

The Cambridge, Mass.-based developer of messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines sold 26.3m shares at $23 each, but saw its stock fall 19.1% on its first day of trading to close at $18.60 on Dec

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Scrip for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required

More from Financing

Hengrui Set For Biggest Biopharma IPO So Far This Year

 

Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals is gearing up for what will be 2025's biggest biopharma IPO so far, hoping to raise up to $1.27bn on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. China's top drug maker by pipeline size plans to use part of the proceeds to reboot its overseas clinical trials ambitions.

Finance Watch: Funding Alternatives Become The Norm In Tough Public Markets

 
• By 

Public Company Edition: With fewer follow-on offerings, drug developers are pursuing other options. Axsome accessed up to $570m in debt, Evolus obtained $250m in a new credit facility and Abeona raised $155m from a PRV sale, but Apimeds was able to execute a small $13.5m IPO.

‘Market Developments’ Persuade Galapagos To Rethink Spin-Off

 

CEO Paul Stoffels exits early to be succeeded by Henry Gosebruch, who will now consider ‘all options’ for the Belgian firm as it tries to claw back investor confidence.

Azafaros Banks Over €130m To Advance Nizubaglustat Into Phase III

 
• By 

The therapy has been developed for GM1 and GM2 gangliosidoses and Niemann-Pick disease type C.

More from Business

Novo Nordisk Looks To Septerna For Oral Obesity Options

 

Deal Snapshot: The Danish drugmaker is partnering with GPCR drug discovery expert Septerna to develop multiple small molecules for cardiometabolic targets.

AbbVie On MFN: ‘We Have To Take It Seriously’

 

AbbVie chief commercial officer Jeffrey Stewart called Trump’s drug pricing plan a “disruption” but said ultimately the delta between US and EU drug prices may not be as high as some expect.

Industry Leaders Grapple With Trump’s MFN Pricing Plan

 

At the Bank of America health care conference, pharma leaders speculated on what Trump’s executive order on drug pricing could mean for US and European drug prices.