Healthy money

Biotech has been one of the best-performing industries this year, and it’s being partly because of a problem rather than a breakthrough. A lot of the action is being driven by the patent cliff. Patents on a huge number of medicines are running out, and Big Pharma has decided it’s cheaper to buy someone else’s drug than invent its own.

Meanwhile, weight loss drugs brought in billions, a two-year-old company listed on the Nasdaq for a drug it didn’t invent and closer to home an ASX-listed company published results from a study on a new way to assess ADHD. Three companies, three different parts of the same industry. One sells the medicine, one licensed it from someone else, and one is trying to work out who needs it.

Biotech investing is no longer just about breakthrough science; it’s increasingly about owning the companies creating, acquiring and enabling the next generation of healthcare.

To your investing,

Biotech IPOs surpass AI listings, achieving a 55% return

US biotech and pharma IPOs have delivered a significant 55% gain year-to-date, outperforming other benchmarks like all US IPOs, the broader S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Biotechnology Indexes, and the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF. This indicates strong investor interest and confidence in the biotech sector.

Back from Bioshares in New Zealand… and couldn’t be more bullish on healthcare

Hi, I'm the Armchair Analyst. I write a 5-minute daily update on the ASX life-sciences sector. Fresh off the back of the 20th Bioshares event, I couldn’t be more bullish about the ASX-listed healthcare sector going into the second half of 2026. The last four years for biotech companies on the ASX have been rough (specifically the drug developers), but in the US, Big Pharma companies are spending up for late-stage assets. They say that Australia runs about 12 months behind the US, which means this half should be strong for the sector. The biotech companies on the ASX that are ripe for the picking are late-stage opportunities. That means Phase 2 and beyond…

DXB, ATX, ATH, PAR, AVE, NUZ, ACW, RCE, RAC, SNT. (Just to name a few)
I wrote a deep dive this week on Alterity Therapeutics (ASX: ATH). You can read it here: Back the Jockey: The Alterity Story (ASX: ATH) 

Patrys (ASX:PAB) - Advancing lead drug candidate RLS-2202

PAB CEO Dr Samantha South discusses Patrys advancing its lead drug candidate, RLS-2202, towards its first clinical trial in humans. PAB has also recently appointed a specialist clinical trial site and contract research organisation, progressed its trial protocol and submitted its ethics application.

Acrux (ASX:ACR) - Advances Female Testosterone “once in a generation opportunity”

ACR CEO & Managing Director John Warmbrunn discusses the company’s continued progress in advancing its Female Testosterone programme, with the FDA providing a clear pathway toward late-stage clinical trials and global pharmaceutical companies showing strong interest in partnering on this product.

EBR Systems (ASX:EBR) - Physician perspective on the Coupler supporting WiSE procedures

Dr Anne Kroman, DO, PhD, Director of Electrophysiology Lab and Cardiac Device program at the MUSC discusses how EBR is advancing cardiac resynchronisation therapy with the world's only leadless pacing technology designed for heart failure patients.

Noxopharm (ASX:NOX) - Validates its cancer-fighting technology

NOX validates its cancer-fighting technology with new preclinical data demonstrating the potential of its TLR8-potentiating oligonucleotides.

Argent BioPharma (ASX:RGT) - Advances CannEpil® expansion to US veterinary healthcare market

RGT advances the expansion of its CannEpil® platform into the U.S. veterinary healthcare market, with its exclusive licensing partner commencing a development programme focused initially on companion-animal oncology and chronic pain management.

Osteopore (ASX:OSX) - Signs three-year distribution agreement with Al-Umnia

OSX expands its orthopaedic bone reconstruction business into the Middle East after signing a three-year distribution agreement with Al-Umnia Medical covering five Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets.

Elk Range Mining (ASX:LK) is a mineral explorer that owns a high-quality portfolio of gold assets located in the US state of Idaho.

Gwardar Resources (ASX:GRS) is a mining explorer that has entered into Acquisition Agreements to wholly acquire the Doolgunna and Kurnalpi Projects located in Western Australia.

Alurion Resources (ASX:ALU) is a demerged entity that owns the Amargosa Bauxite-Gallium Project previously held by Brazilian Rare Earths Limited.

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