Latest news with #BluebirdBio
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bluebird Bio (BLUE) Reports Q1 Loss, Lags Revenue Estimates
Bluebird Bio (BLUE) came out with a quarterly loss of $2.66 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $3.60. This compares to loss of $7.20 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 26.11%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this biotechnology company would post a loss of $6.60 per share when it actually produced a loss of $23.74, delivering a surprise of -259.70%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times. Bluebird , which belongs to the Zacks Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry, posted revenues of $38.71 million for the quarter ended March 2025, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 17.98%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $18.57 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Bluebird shares have lost about 60.3% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 0.1%. While Bluebird has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Bluebird: mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is -$1.20 on $68.8 million in revenues for the coming quarter and -$15.19 on $282.8 million in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Medical - Biomedical and Genetics is currently in the top 30% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. Opus Genetics, Inc. (IRD), another stock in the same industry, has yet to report results for the quarter ended March 2025. This company is expected to post quarterly loss of $0.34 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -17.2%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. Opus Genetics, Inc.'s revenues are expected to be $2.8 million, up 63.7% from the year-ago quarter. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report bluebird bio, Inc. (BLUE) : Free Stock Analysis Report Opus Genetics, Inc. (IRD) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bluebird Bio Shareholders Get New All-Cash Offer From Private Equity
Bluebird Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ:BLUE) shares are trading higher on Wednesday following the news that Bluebird Bio, Carlyle, and SK Capital Partners, LP, have amended their definitive agreement. Under the terms of the amended agreement, Bluebird stockholders can elect to receive either the original offer of $3.00 per share in cash plus a contingent value right (CVR) of $6.84 per share in cash payable upon achievement of a net sales milestone or $5.00 per share in cash. The amended offer price provides an alternative for stockholders who would prefer greater upfront cash consideration instead of the potential upside of the shares tendered for which no election is made will receive the original consideration of $3.00 per share in cash and a contingent value right per share. In May, Carlyle and SK Capital received all required regulatory approvals to complete the transaction, and all parties expect the transaction to be consummated promptly following the successful completion of the ongoing tender offer. In March, Bluebird received an unsolicited, non-binding written proposal from Ayrmid Ltd. Ayrmid proposed to acquire Bluebird for an upfront cash payment of $4.50 per share and a one-time contingent value right of $6.84 per share payable upon achieving a net sales milestone. In April, the company said that after three weeks of engagement, including a timeline extension, Ayrmid did not submit a binding proposal to acquire Bluebird and had not obtained the necessary financing. Price Action: BLUE stock is up 50.3% to $4.98 at the last check on Wednesday. Image by Gumbariya via Shutterstock Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? BLUEBIRD BIO (BLUE): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Bluebird Bio Shareholders Get New All-Cash Offer From Private Equity originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bluebird Bio Shareholders Get New All-Cash Offer From Private Equity
Bluebird Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ:BLUE) shares are trading higher on Wednesday following the news that Bluebird Bio, Carlyle, and SK Capital Partners, LP, have amended their definitive agreement. Under the terms of the amended agreement, Bluebird stockholders can elect to receive either the original offer of $3.00 per share in cash plus a contingent value right (CVR) of $6.84 per share in cash payable upon achievement of a net sales milestone or $5.00 per share in cash. The amended offer price provides an alternative for stockholders who would prefer greater upfront cash consideration instead of the potential upside of the shares tendered for which no election is made will receive the original consideration of $3.00 per share in cash and a contingent value right per share. In May, Carlyle and SK Capital received all required regulatory approvals to complete the transaction, and all parties expect the transaction to be consummated promptly following the successful completion of the ongoing tender offer. In March, Bluebird received an unsolicited, non-binding written proposal from Ayrmid Ltd. Ayrmid proposed to acquire Bluebird for an upfront cash payment of $4.50 per share and a one-time contingent value right of $6.84 per share payable upon achieving a net sales milestone. In April, the company said that after three weeks of engagement, including a timeline extension, Ayrmid did not submit a binding proposal to acquire Bluebird and had not obtained the necessary financing. Price Action: BLUE stock is up 50.3% to $4.98 at the last check on Wednesday. Image by Gumbariya via Shutterstock Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? BLUEBIRD BIO (BLUE): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Bluebird Bio Shareholders Get New All-Cash Offer From Private Equity originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Top 10 most expensive prescription drugs in the US by price and by sales volume
On the heels of President Donald Trump's Monday announcement of an executive order that will slash prescription drug prices in the U.S., the spotlight is on current costs and how much Americans could save. The president's order calls for "most favored nations drug pricing" — which means "the lowest price paid for a drug in other developed countries, that is the price that Americans will pay," he said. "Some prescription drug and pharmaceutical prices will be reduced almost immediately by 50 to 80 to 90%," Trump said. President Trump Takes On 'Big Pharma' By Signing Executive Order To Lower Drug Prices Katy Dubinsky, a New York pharmacist and founder and CEO of Vitalize, applauded the move to reduce prescription prices, noting that Trump's order tackles a long-standing problem. "But this will not be simple to accomplish," she told Fox News Digital. Read On The Fox News App "The executive order doesn't reduce costs immediately," she said. "It directs government agencies to start drafting the rules, which may take months." Here are the five most expensive prescription drugs in the U.S. by price — followed by five by volume. Dubinsky detailed some of the most expensive prescription drugs in the country today and what conditions they treat. 1. Lenmeldy (atidarsagene autotemcel) by Orchard Therapeutics – $4.25 million This medication is used to treat metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), a rare genetic disorder that damages the nervous system, Dubinsky said. "It is given once and is supposed to stop or slow down the disease in young kids," she noted. Top 10 'Allergy Capitals' Of The Us, Plus 4 Tips To Manage Symptoms 2. Hemgenix (etranacogene dezaparvovec-drlb) by CSL Behring – $3.5 million This medication is prescribed for people with hemophilia B, a bleeding disorder. "This one-time treatment helps the body make its own clotting factor, so patients don't need regular infusions," said Dubinsky. 3. Elevidys (delandistrogene moxeparvovec-rokl) by Sarepta Therapeutics – $3.2 million This prescription medication, intended for young boys, treats Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a condition that weakens muscles over time. "It aims to slow down how fast the disease progresses," Dubinsky said. 4. Skysona (elivaldogene autotemcel) by Bluebird Bio – $3 million "This medication is used for cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD), a serious brain disease in boys," said Dubinsky. "This therapy tries to slow the damage before symptoms get worse." 5. Zynteglo (betibeglogene autotemcel) by Bluebird Bio – $2.8 million Zynteglo is for beta-thalassemia, a blood condition that usually requires regular transfusions. "This gene therapy can help patients make healthy red blood cells on their own and reduce how often they need treatment," said Dubinsky. John Stanford, executive director of Incubate, a Washington-based coalition of early-stage life-science investors, shared his thoughts on the top five most expensive drugs by sales volume. "Typically, when the government is focused on the most expensive drugs, they're focused on the metric based on sales volume rather than, for instance, a rare disease therapy with a high list price but smaller patient pool," he told Fox News Digital. "Often, officials are focused on total drug spending by Medicare or other government programs." 1. Keytruda (pembrolizumab) by Merck — $25 billion revenue (2023) Keytruda is an immunotherapy medication used to treat a variety of cancers, including melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, liver cancer and others. "Keytruda has become Merck's crown jewel, helping the company expand its cancer treatment portfolio with more than 1,000 active clinical trials," Stanford told Fox News Digital. Terminal Colon Cancer Patient Saved By Breakthrough Treatment 2. Eliquis (apixaban) by Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer — $18.95 billion Eliquis (apixaban) is an "anchor drug" for both BMS and Pfizer, according to Stanford. Apixaban is prescribed to prevent the formation of blood clots and to treat deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in the lungs). 3. Ozempic (semaglutide) by Novo Nordisk — $13.93 billion Prescribed for type 2 diabetes, the semaglutide medication Ozempic has become widely popular for its weight-loss effects and other health benefits. "Ozempic's sales are powering Novo Nordisk's broader foray into GLP-1s for obesity, heart disease and liver conditions — all areas with high development costs and uncertain scientific outcomes," Stanford told Fox News Digital. "The money has gone toward scaling up production to meet demand for GLP-1s and avoid supply shortages." 4. Humira (AbbVie) — $14.4 billion (U.S. 2023 revenue) "Humira has been one of the highest-grossing drugs in history, generating over $200 billion during its exclusivity period," Stanford said. The injectable medication, which contains the active ingredient adalimumab, is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter 5. Biktarvy by Gilead — $11.85 billion Biktarvy is an HIV treatment that includes the three ingredients bictegravir, emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide. "Biktarvy isn't just a leading HIV treatment — it's the financial backbone for Gilead's move into cancer research," Stanford said. Dr. Jacob Glanville, CEO of Centivax, a San Francisco biotechnology company, said vaccines and most generic drugs would not likely be changed by the executive order. "Most vaccines that Americans take cost less than a hundred dollars, while generic drugs are often less than a dollar a pill," he told Fox News Digital. What would be affected, Glanville predicted, are newer brand-name drugs still under IP exclusivity, antibody therapies, cellular therapies, gene therapies and personalized cancer vaccines. "Some of these are excruciatingly expensive — $100,000 to $500,000 for a treatment course for a patient. However, they are also often the most effective treatments for certain cancers, autoimmune disorders or rare diseases." The pharmaceutical industry might argue that lowering the prices on these medicines will result in a "dramatic reduction of investment" in creating such breakthroughs, said Glanville. The industry may also argue that these medicines eventually become generic — at which point the prices drop, according to the expert. For more Health articles, visit "From a patient's perspective, the price of medical care in the United States is unsustainable, and extremely expensive medicine is part of that," he said. But "the insurance system and the hospital business also contribute." "If the prices of new medicines are capped, then effort should be made to reduce the cost of clinical trials and drug GMP manufacturing. Otherwise, we will lose a lot of innovation." Greg Norman of Fox News Digital contributed article source: Top 10 most expensive prescription drugs in the US by price and by sales volume
Reuters
21-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Gene therapy loses luster as investors eye quicker returns from weight-loss drugs
Summary Companies Venture capital investment in gene therapies fell to $1.4 billion in 2024 from 2021 peak of $8.2 billion Total global biopharma venture funding rose to $27 billion in 2024 from $23.2 billion in 2023 Manufacturing, commercial hurdles limit demand for some gene therapies March 21 (Reuters) - Gene therapy, with its offer of a possible cure for rare diseases like sickle cell, is losing early investors to higher-reward sectors like obesity and cancer, as sales for some of the new treatments fall short. In the last year, some drugmakers have pulled back from the sector, including Pfizer (PFE.N), opens new tab, which recently stopped selling its gene therapy for hemophilia priced at $3.5 million per patient. Bluebird Bio, a gene therapy pioneer once worth nearly $10 billion, was sold to private equity firms for $30 million last month. In 2024, developers of gene therapies and gene-editing products raised less than $1.4 billion across 39 venture rounds, according to a data analysis from DealForma for Reuters. In 2023, they raised $3.5 billion in 60 deals, which was down 57% from the sector's peak of $8.2 billion across 122 deals in 2021. "There needs to be better ways, cheaper ways to make some of these complex products," in order for investor interest in gene therapy to return, said Subin Baral, Ernst & Young global life sciences deal leader. Companies like Novartis (NOVN.S), opens new tab say they are continuing gene therapy research. More than 95% of infants born in the U.S. with a rare neuromuscular disorder called spinal muscular atrophy are now treated with its Zolgensma gene therapy and it is being developed for older children. Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX.O), opens new tab continues to see patients with sickle cell disease start the process to receive its Casgevy therapy, said Chief Operating Officer Stuart Arbuckle. He said the treatment, which had 2024 sales of just $10 million, was pursued because the company believed gene editing offered the best solution for people living with the debilitating disease. Gene therapy — the one-time process of inserting a modified gene to compensate for a faulty gene or change how a patient's cells produce proteins — is a complex procedure in which patients often have to be hospitalized, with insurance coverage not always clear. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has supported the breakthrough treatments, which have multimillion-dollar prices. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, told Reuters he is confident "speed bumps" including scientific challenges, manufacturing difficulties and real-world application of gene therapies will be worked out. "We need to have a streamlined regulatory process... Combine that with manufacturing improvements to have a package of things to bring down cost so they are no longer cost prohibitive," Marks said earlier this month. "My hope is that we have a group that is going to be here through the next years working on this." Safety issues are also a concern even after approval. Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT.O), opens new tab said this week a 16-year-old boy died from acute liver failure months after receiving the company's gene therapy for a rare muscular dystrophy. Weight-loss drugs, meanwhile, are forecast to see annual sales of $150 billion in coming years as new, highly-effective medicines have sparked outsized demand. Obesity therapeutics attracted $1.75 billion in venture capital last year, nearly triple 2023's total of $630 million. Overall, global biopharma venture funding rose to $27 billion in 2024 from $23.2 billion in 2023. Cancer remained the top sector at $10.3 billion, according to DealForma. ECONOMICS AND POLICY DIFFICULTIES Unlike traditional drugs that can be made in large quantities for mass distribution, gene therapies are more individualized, requiring specialized equipment and cell processing materials. "People believe in the promise of gene therapy," said Priya Chandran, biopharmaceuticals sector leader at Boston Consulting Group. "Investment is dropping because the overall economics and policy landscape has been problematic." The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, the industry trade group for the cell and gene therapy sector, said it expects investment to be reinvigorated as new trial data emerges. "The biggest biopharma companies continue to invest as the gene therapy pipeline evolves to tackle diseases with larger patient populations," said ARM spokesman Stephen Majors. When Pfizer last month stopped selling Beqvez, its gene therapy for hemophilia B, it said demand was weak. The company in 2023 had already backed away from early-stage gene therapy research, and last year abandoned efforts on a gene treatment for muscular dystrophy after disappointing results from a late-stage trial. Bluebird sells three gene therapies in the U.S., including Lyfgenia for sickle cell disease, which competes with Vertex and CRISPR Therapeutics' ( opens new tab Casgevy. Pfizer and Bluebird did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Evidence that expensive gene therapies can provide a sustained benefit and will be accepted by patients, doctors and insurers has become more critical as major pharmaceutical companies face the looming loss of market exclusivity for top-selling medicines. Morgan Stanley estimated that around $175 billion of 2025 U.S. large-cap biopharma revenue – 35% of the total – will go off patent by the end of the decade. Companies "are trying to invest fast enough so that they can restock their pipelines and hopefully fill the gap," said EY's Baral. "These are capital allocation choices."
