Global Healthcare Analyst

Tina Banerjee

Equity Capital Markets

Ascentage Pharma Group Corp / Equity Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ascentage-pharma-group-inter" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27824:1" rel="noopener">Ascentage Pharma Group Corp (6855 HK)</a> announced the placement of 22M shares for subscription at HK$68.6 per share, representing 8% discount to last trading price before announcement.</li>
<li>The company intends to use the net proceeds for commercialization efforts, global clinical development to advance the core pipeline candidates and for infrastructure and working capital to strengthen global operations.</li>
<li>The launch of lisaftoclax in China followed by eventual approval olverembatinib in US would be the near-term triggers for the company.</li>
</ul>



Ascentage Pharma Group Corp (6855 HK) announced the placement of 22M shares for subscription at HK$68.6 per share, representing 8% discount to last trading price before announcement.
The company intends to use the net proceeds for commercialization efforts, global clinical development to advance the core pipeline candidates and for infrastructure and working capital to strengthen global operations.
The launch of lisaftoclax in China followed by eventual approval olverembatinib in US would be the near-term triggers for the company.


Ascentage Pharma (6855 HK): Placement Priced Reasonably; Pipeline Leads to Niche Market Opportunity

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Chugai Pharmaceutical enters inlicensing agreement with Gero to develop novel therapies for age-related diseases. JCR Pharmaceuticals stuck outlicening deal with Alexion for its proprietary JUST-AAV capsids to develop genomic medicines.</li>
<li>Cochlear got FDA approval for new product, which will be launched in 1Q26. CStone Pharmaceuticals entered exclusive partnership with Istituto Gentili to commercialize sugemalimab across Western Europe and UK.</li>
<li>Glenmark signed exclusive licensing agreement with AbbVie for their oncology drug candidate ISB 2001. Lupin entered license and supply agreement for commercialization of its biosimilar Certolizumab Pegol in global markets.</li>
</ul>


Chugai Pharmaceutical enters inlicensing agreement with Gero to develop novel therapies for age-related diseases. JCR Pharmaceuticals stuck outlicening deal with Alexion for its proprietary JUST-AAV capsids to develop genomic medicines.
Cochlear got FDA approval for new product, which will be launched in 1Q26. CStone Pharmaceuticals entered exclusive partnership with Istituto Gentili to commercialize sugemalimab across Western Europe and UK.
Glenmark signed exclusive licensing agreement with AbbVie for their oncology drug candidate ISB 2001. Lupin entered license and supply agreement for commercialization of its biosimilar Certolizumab Pegol in global markets.


APAC Healthcare Weekly (July 13) – Chugai, JCR, Cochlear, CStone, Celltrion, Glenmark, Lupin

Equity Bottom-Up

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<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hugel-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22860:1" rel="noopener">Hugel Inc (145020 KS)</a> reported strong 1Q25 result, with all key parameters recording double-digit growth. The robust growth was driven by balanced gains across all product portfolios.</li>
<li>In March, Hugel has fully commercialized Letybo in the U.S. through the partnership with Benev. The company aims to capture 10% market share in the U.S. within three years.</li>
<li>Earlier this month, Hugel has officially launched Botulax in UAE. This marked the second official launch in the Middle East, following the product’s debut in Kuwait.</li>
</ul>



Hugel Inc (145020 KS) reported strong 1Q25 result, with all key parameters recording double-digit growth. The robust growth was driven by balanced gains across all product portfolios.
In March, Hugel has fully commercialized Letybo in the U.S. through the partnership with Benev. The company aims to capture 10% market share in the U.S. within three years.
Earlier this month, Hugel has officially launched Botulax in UAE. This marked the second official launch in the Middle East, following the product’s debut in Kuwait.


Hugel Inc (145020 KS): Record High 1Q Earnings; US Commercialization and UAE Debut to Trigger Growth

Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>Since late-February (2/25/25 Compass) we expected an 8-10% pullback to provide a buying opportunity. But that all changed in last week's Compass (4/1/25), when we downgraded our outlook to bearish/cautious.</li>
<li>A historic selloff has ensued and significant damage has been done as market dynamics have worsened.</li>
<li>Until we see some base-building process develop alongside improving market dynamics, we remain cautious and we continue to favor defensives as long as the SPX is below its 200-day MA.</li>
</ul>


Since late-February (2/25/25 Compass) we expected an 8-10% pullback to provide a buying opportunity. But that all changed in last week's Compass (4/1/25), when we downgraded our outlook to bearish/cautious.
A historic selloff has ensued and significant damage has been done as market dynamics have worsened.
Until we see some base-building process develop alongside improving market dynamics, we remain cautious and we continue to favor defensives as long as the SPX is below its 200-day MA.


S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 Testing Prior 2022 Highs; Still Bearish and Cautious

Research from Water Tower Research, Water Tower Research

Water Tower Research

Research from Water Tower Research

Water Tower Research is a leading equity research firm that provides research on micro, small and mid cap companies.

Water Tower Research was founded by Wall Street veterans after witnessing a fundamental shift in the investment research industry with the result being a declining knowledge base among investors, a lack of awareness and a shrinking pool of fundamental research being conducted on companies across the small-cap and micro-cap spectrum. The same issues are now increasingly occurring in the mid-cap space. This sea change within the investment community is impacting not only the companies themselves but also current shareholders and potential investors. With significantly less active sell-side sponsorship by Wall Street, a substantial information gap has developed between companies and various constituents in the financial community. The net result is fewer channels for insight and information to flow between companies and investors.

Equity Research Firm

<ul><li>The forced resignation of the FDA’s CBER Director Peter Marks shook the biopharma market, as he called out RFK Jr.’s goal of confirming vaccine “misinformation and lies.”</li><li>President Donald Trump’s broad reciprocal tariffs weakened biopharma further, as the exemption for pharmaceuticals was unclear and eventual tariffs on drug products are now largely expected.</li><li>The FDA uncertainty and stagflation fears remain an overhang on the industry. </li></ul>

The forced resignation of the FDA’s CBER Director Peter Marks shook the biopharma market, as he called out RFK Jr.’s goal of confirming vaccine “misinformation and lies.”President Donald Trump’s broad reciprocal tariffs weakened biopharma further, as the exemption for pharmaceuticals was unclear and eventual tariffs on drug products are now largely expected.The FDA uncertainty and stagflation fears remain an overhang on the industry. 

Biopharma Week in Review - Concerning FDA Resignation; Tariffs Trigger Deeper Selloff

United States

AbbVie Inc. researches and develops pharmaceutical products. The Company produces pharmaceutical drugs for specialty therapeutic areas such as immunology, chronic kidney disease, hepatitis C, women's health, oncology, and neuroscience. AbbVie also offers treatments for diseases including multiple sclerosis, parkinson's, and alzheimer's disease.

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AbbVie (ABBV UN)

Ascentage Pharma (6855 HK): Placement Priced Reasonably; Pipeline Leads to Niche Market Opportunity

Ascentage Pharma is placing 22M shares at HK$68.6/share, 8% discount to last trading price. Proceeds will fund commercialization efforts and...

Tina Banerjee

APAC Healthcare Weekly (July 13) – Chugai, JCR, Cochlear, CStone, Celltrion, Glenmark, Lupin

Chugai entered inlicensing agreement. JCR Pharma and Glenmark stuck outlicensing deal. Cochlear got new product approval. CStone and Lupin found...

Tina Banerjee

Hugel Inc (145020 KS): Record High 1Q Earnings; US Commercialization and UAE Debut to Trigger Growth

Hugel reports double-digit growth across all key parameters in 1Q25, driven by balanced gains in all product portfolios. The company aims to...

Tina Banerjee

S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 Testing Prior 2022 Highs; Still Bearish and Cautious

$SPX and Nasdaq 100 $QQQ Testing Prior 2022 Highs; Upgrading Health Care $XLV; Downgrading Transportation $IYT; Still Bearish and Cautious; Sell...

Vermilion Research

Biopharma Week in Review - Concerning FDA Resignation; Tariffs Trigger Deeper Selloff

he forced resignation of the FDA’s CBER Director Peter Marks shook the biopharma market, as he called out RFK Jr.’s goal of confirming vaccine...

Water Tower Research

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52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

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Ascentage Pharma (6855 HK): Placement Priced Reasonably; Pipeline Leads to Niche Market Opportunity

​Ascentage Pharma is placing 22M shares at HK$68.6/share, 8% discount to last trading price. Proceeds will fund commercialization efforts and...

Tina Banerjee

APAC Healthcare Weekly (July 13) – Chugai, JCR, Cochlear, CStone, Celltrion, Glenmark, Lupin

Chugai entered inlicensing agreement. JCR Pharma and Glenmark stuck outlicensing deal. Cochlear got new product approval. CStone and Lupin found...

Tina Banerjee

Hugel Inc (145020 KS): Record High 1Q Earnings; US Commercialization and UAE Debut to Trigger Growth

​Hugel reports double-digit growth across all key parameters in 1Q25, driven by balanced gains in all product portfolios. The company aims to...

Tina Banerjee

S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 Testing Prior 2022 Highs; Still Bearish and Cautious

$SPX and Nasdaq 100 $QQQ Testing Prior 2022 Highs; Upgrading Health Care $XLV; Downgrading Transportation $IYT; Still Bearish and Cautious; Sell...

Vermilion Research

Biopharma Week in Review - Concerning FDA Resignation; Tariffs Trigger Deeper Selloff

he forced resignation of the FDA’s CBER Director Peter Marks shook the biopharma market, as he called out RFK Jr.’s goal of confirming vaccine...

Water Tower Research

Ascentage Pharma is placing 22M shares at HK$68.6/share, 8% discount to last trading price. Proceeds will fund commercialization efforts and...

Hugel reports double-digit growth across all key parameters in 1Q25, driven by balanced gains in all product portfolios. The company aims to...