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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.

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<ul><li>Biotech fared better than pharma, as macro trends mostly favored growth stocks and LLY weakness pressured the large cap group.</li><li>M&amp;A activity also helped biotech, with NVS acquiring RLGS at a 108% premium and MKKGY buying SWTX after months of speculation.</li><li>Sentiment remained cautious among industry leaders, with another potential sign of regulatory disruption as the FDA missed Stealth’s (private) PDUFA date.</li></ul>

Biotech fared better than pharma, as macro trends mostly favored growth stocks and LLY weakness pressured the large cap group.M&amp;A activity also helped biotech, with NVS acquiring RLGS at a 108% premium and MKKGY buying SWTX after months of speculation.Sentiment remained cautious among industry leaders, with another potential sign of regulatory disruption as the FDA missed Stealth’s (private) PDUFA date.

Biopharma Week in Review - Macro and M&A Boost Biotech; NVO Moves to Slow LLY Obesity Lead

<ul><li>FDA Commissioner Martin Makary injected some regulatory optimism with his first public comments, advocating for accelerated drug approval pathways.</li><li>While biopharma headlines were a roller coaster, investors appeared ready to grasp any positive news, despite more signs of FDA dysfunction.</li><li>In an E&amp;Y report reviewed by Reuters, 25% pharma tariffs would increase drug costs by $51 billion, leading to either 12.9% higher prices or reductions in R&amp;D efforts and workforce. </li></ul>

FDA Commissioner Martin Makary injected some regulatory optimism with his first public comments, advocating for accelerated drug approval pathways.While biopharma headlines were a roller coaster, investors appeared ready to grasp any positive news, despite more signs of FDA dysfunction.In an E&amp;Y report reviewed by Reuters, 25% pharma tariffs would increase drug costs by $51 billion, leading to either 12.9% higher prices or reductions in R&amp;D efforts and workforce. 

Biopharma Week in Review: Makary Sparked FDA Optimism; Growing Pushback on HHS Changes

<ul><li>Biopharma lagged as Trump’s pending pharma tariffs loom.</li><li>The 90-day pause in reciprocal tariffs was a short-lived reprieve for biopharma, as Trump later clarified pharma tariffs were not part of the pause.</li><li>After a second unvaccinated child died from measles (three deaths total), RFK Jr. endorsed the vaccine as the most effective way of prevention. </li></ul>

Biopharma lagged as Trump’s pending pharma tariffs loom.The 90-day pause in reciprocal tariffs was a short-lived reprieve for biopharma, as Trump later clarified pharma tariffs were not part of the pause.After a second unvaccinated child died from measles (three deaths total), RFK Jr. endorsed the vaccine as the most effective way of prevention. 

Biopharma Week in Review : Pharma Tariffs Overhang; Worrying Vaccine Comments from RFK Jr.

<ul><li>Trump’s pick for CDC director, former Congressman Dave Weldon, had his nomination withdrawn just hours before the Senate committee hearing.</li><li>Weldon lacked sufficient support from Republicans to clear the committee, as he adhered to his anti-vaccine views more strongly than RFK Jr.</li><li>While vaccine makers (PFE, MRNA, BNTX, NVAX) rebounded briefly on the news, other federal actions kept the space under pressure, including the termination of NIH grants for research on vaccine hesitancy and uptake. </li></ul>

Trump’s pick for CDC director, former Congressman Dave Weldon, had his nomination withdrawn just hours before the Senate committee hearing.Weldon lacked sufficient support from Republicans to clear the committee, as he adhered to his anti-vaccine views more strongly than RFK Jr.While vaccine makers (PFE, MRNA, BNTX, NVAX) rebounded briefly on the news, other federal actions kept the space under pressure, including the termination of NIH grants for research on vaccine hesitancy and uptake. 

Biopharma Week in Review - March 17, 2025

<ul><li>Vaccine makers (PFE, MRNA, BNTX, NVAX) had an up-and- down week, as the HHS postponed the CDC’s first scheduled ACIP (vaccine experts panel) meeting of the year.</li><li>Deeper concerns came with reports of RFK Jr.’s plans to overhaul the committee (Politico), possibly replacing members with vaccine skeptics.</li><li>Ending the group’s week was a new bat coronavirus identified in China with transmission potential to humans. </li></ul>

Vaccine makers (PFE, MRNA, BNTX, NVAX) had an up-and- down week, as the HHS postponed the CDC’s first scheduled ACIP (vaccine experts panel) meeting of the year.Deeper concerns came with reports of RFK Jr.’s plans to overhaul the committee (Politico), possibly replacing members with vaccine skeptics.Ending the group’s week was a new bat coronavirus identified in China with transmission potential to humans. 

Biopharma Week in Review - February 24, 2025

United States

Novavax, Inc. is a clinical stage biotechnology company. The Company creates novel vaccines to address a broad range of infectious diseases worldwide using proprietary virus-like particle (VLP) technology.

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Novavax (NVAX US)

Biopharma Week in Review - Macro and M&A Boost Biotech; NVO Moves to Slow LLY Obesity Lead

Biotech fared better than pharma, as macro trends mostly favored growth stocks and LLY weakness pressured the large cap group.

Water Tower Research

Biopharma Week in Review: Makary Sparked FDA Optimism; Growing Pushback on HHS Changes

FDA Commissioner Martin Makary injected some regulatory optimism with his first public comments, advocating for accelerated drug approval pathways.

Water Tower Research

Biopharma Week in Review : Pharma Tariffs Overhang; Worrying Vaccine Comments from RFK Jr.

The 90-day pause in reciprocal tariffs was a short-lived reprieve for biopharma, as Trump later clarified pharma tariffs were not part of the pa

Water Tower Research

Biopharma Week in Review - March 17, 2025

Trump’s pick for CDC director, former Congressman Dave Weldon, had his nomination withdrawn just hours before the Senate committee hearing.

Water Tower Research

Biopharma Week in Review - February 24, 2025

Vaccine makers (PFE, MRNA, BNTX, NVAX) had an up-and- down week, as the HHS postponed the CDC’s first scheduled ACIP (vaccine experts panel)...

Water Tower Research

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