Latest news with #ClinicalResearch
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Should You Hold ICON PLC (ICLR)?
Wasatch Global Investors, an asset management company, released its 'Wasatch U.S. Select Strategy' first-quarter 2025 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. US equities declined in the first quarter due to potential tariffs and government funding cuts. Against this backdrop, the strategy was down but exceeded the Russell Midcap® Growth Index, which lost -7.12%. In addition, please check the fund's top five holdings to know its best picks in 2025. In its first-quarter 2025 investor letter, Wasatch U.S. Select Strategy highlighted stocks such as ICON Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:ICLR). Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, ICON Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:ICLR) is a clinical research organization. The one-month return of ICON Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:ICLR) was 11.32%, and its shares lost 53.42% of their value over the last 52 weeks. On June 25, 2025, ICON Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:ICLR) stock closed at $145.91 per share, with a market capitalization of $11.597 billion. Wasatch U.S. Select Strategy stated the following regarding ICON Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:ICLR) in its Q1 2025 investor letter: "ICON Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:ICLR) also detracted. The Irish health-care company provides contracted clinical-research services to global biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms. Concerns about the funding environment for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies likely weighed on ICON's stock price this quarter, but we continue to like the business. ICON's valuation is near historical lows, and we like the stock's risk-reward potential from here. Further, accelerated stock buybacks signal more confidence from management that growth could be poised to accelerate." A laboratory setting with a team of scientists working on a clinical trial. ICON Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:ICLR) is not on our list of 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 44 hedge fund portfolios held ICON Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:ICLR) at the end of the first quarter, which was 46 in the previous quarter. ICON Public Limited Company's (NASDAQ:ICLR) first quarter revenue declined 4.3% year-over-year to $2 billion. While we acknowledge the potential of ICON Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:ICLR) as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is as promising as NVIDIA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the undervalued AI stock set for massive gains. In another article, we covered ICON Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:ICLR) and shared small-cap healthcare stocks hedge funds are buying. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q1 2025 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors. While we acknowledge the potential of ICLR as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Sign in to access your portfolio
Medscape
14 hours ago
- Health
- Medscape
Guselkumab Clears Scalp Psoriasis Across Skin Tones
TOPLINE: In the VISIBLE trial, guselkumab led to significant and sustained improvements in scalp psoriasis severity and quality of life in patients with skin of color through 48 weeks. METHODOLOGY: Researchers evaluated outcomes in a cohort of patients in the phase 3b randomized VISIBLE trial, which included 102 adults with skin of color and scalp psoriasis (mean age, 42.5 years; Fitzpatrick skin type IV-VI, 62.7%; 56.9% men) at 45 sites in the US and Canada from September 2022 to June 2024. Participants self-identified as Asian (38.2%), non-White Hispanic or Latino (38.2%), Black (10.8%), and Middle Eastern (4.9%). Participants were randomly assigned 3:1 to receive guselkumab or placebo with crossover to guselkumab at week 16. Coprimary endpoints were scalp-specific Investigator's Global Assessment (ss-IGA) score of 0/1 and 90% improvement in Psoriasis Scalp Severity Index (PSSI) at week 16. Secondary outcomes were changes in PSSI, scalp surface area, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Scalp Itch Numeric Rating Scale, Psoriasis Symptoms and Signs Diary, and complete clearance. TAKEAWAY: At week 16, patients treated with guselkumab showed significantly higher response rates than those with placebo for ss-IGA 0/1 (68.4% vs 11.5%; P < .001) and PSSI 90 (65.8% vs 3.8%; P < .001). Complete scalp clearance was higher in the guselkumab group: ss-IGA 0 (57.9% vs 3.8%; P < .001) and PSSI 100 (59.2% vs 3.8%; P < .001). At week 16, guselkumab led to greater mean percentage improvements in PSSI (least squares mean [LSM] change, 87.6% vs 37.8%; P < .001) and scalp surface area (SSA; LSM change, 86.6% vs 33.4%; P < .001). Patients reported improved quality of life (DLQI: LSM change, -9.7 vs -2.2; P < .001), symptom relief (LSM change, -44.8 vs -8.3; P < .001), and improvements in itch scores (69.4% vs 24.0%; P < .001) with guselkumab vs placebo at week 16. Over 90% of patients achieved mean percentage improvements with guselkumab in PSSI and SSA by week 48, with 67.1% achieving complete scalp clearance (ss-IGA 0). One patient in the placebo group experienced at least one serious adverse event (SAE) at week 16 vs none in the guselkumab-treated group. From 0-48 weeks, at least one SAE was reported in 2.5% of patients on guselkumab; no adverse events resulted in drug discontinuation. IN PRACTICE: The findings showed that 'guselkumab is highly effective for the treatment of moderate-to-severe scalp psoriasis in individuals with skin of color across the spectrum of objectively measured skin tones,' the study authors concluded. SOURCE: This study was led by Amy McMichael, MD, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and was published online on June 25 in JAMA Dermatology. LIMITATIONS: Postinflammatory pigment alteration, a common concern in people with skin of color, was not fully captured. DISCLOSURES: Johnson & Johnson provided funding support for this study. McMichael reported receiving personal fees, nonfinancial support, and royalties from various organizations, including Johnson & Johnson. Several other authors also reported receiving personal fees, investigator fees, salary, stock, and stock options from Johnson & Johnson and multiple other companies. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
