Avant View

AVANT VIEW Quarterly Report Q2 2024

M&A activity in Q2 remained consistent with previous quarters, featuring several significant transactions.  Merck KGaA announced plans to acquire Mirus Bio for $600M, and Bruker purchased NanoString Technologies for $392.6M two months after Nanostring filed for Chapter 11.

On the IPO front, XtalPi Technology, an innovative research platform company powered by AI and robotics made a notable debut, raising $126M (USD) on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange at a $295M valuation.

Venture capital activity in Q2 2024 showed promising signs, with several notable deals.  Healthtech Formation Bio secured a $372M Series D round at a pre-money valuation of $1.33B.  TORL BioTherapeutics unveiled a $158 million Series B-2 to ramp up ADC manufacturing, and AI driven drug discovery firm Metis Pharmaceuticals closed a $100M Series C round.

The funding landscape saw a bounce back in late-stage deal and early-stage deal value, while seed stage remained relatively flat.

Avant View

The life science industrials sector continues to navigate a selective financing environment in Q2 2024, with investor focus shifting towards balanced growth and clear profitability paths. Despite ongoing challenges, there are emerging signs of recovery, particularly in life science tools valuations. The sector is witnessing increased interest in AI and machine learning applications for drug discovery and clinical trials, alongside growing demand for precision medicine and personalized healthcare technologies.

Looking ahead, the outlook remains cautiously optimistic. While funding challenges persist, positive indicators for recovery are emerging. We anticipate ongoing investor selectivity and potential increases in M&A activity as larger players seek strategic acquisitions. The growing interest in AI-powered drug discovery and development platforms is expected to shape the sector’s future trajectory where such tools are showing to reduce critical bottlenecks in the discovery process.

Top Headlines

Merck Biopharma announced plans to acquire Mirus Bio for $600M

MilliporeSigma the CDMO unit of Merck KGaA has increased its gene therapy manufacturing capacity with the recent acquisition announcement of Mirus Bio (Mirus). Mirus develops and commercializes transfection reagents, which allow genetic material to be incorporated into cells and play a pivotal role in the production of viral vector-based gene therapies.  The acquisition is a strategic play highlighting an industry wide shortage of viral vectors and allows Merck to differentiate with an integrated offering of CDMO services and raw materials.

AI drug discovery Xaira Therapeutics emerges with $1B in funding

With a star list of investors and tech giants committing $1B, Xaira defies market hesitation.   Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Xaira will combine machine learning, data generation and therapeutic product development to build a platform for drug discovery.

M&A

Novo Holdings A/S announced controlling stake of Single Use Systems

Investments

Private equity firm Blue Wolf plans new CDMO starting with deal to purchase 7 Recipharm sites

Regeneron announces venture investment plans with $500M commitment over five year

Manufacturing

Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies announces massive $1.2B Holly Springs, NC site expansion

AstraZeneca establishes presence in Singapore with $1.5 billion ADC plant buildout in Singapore

Novo Nordisk plans massive $4.1B plant in North Carolina to meet Ozempic & Wegovy demand

All News

Charles River Laboratories has launched a new project to cut down on animal testing in drug discovery

BMS and Cellares announced a $380M Worldwide CAR T Capacity Reservation and Supply Agreement

bit.bio launches 16 disease models for neurodegenerative disease

Xcell Biosciences Strengthens Cell and Gene Therapy Collaboration With Labcorp

Sartorius Q1 sales down while orders are up after a rock y few quarters

Pfizer wins approval for $3.5m hemophilia B gene therapy

Latest House revision of BioSecure act sets 2032 date to cut reliance on “foreign entities of concern”

Multiply Labs announces $85 million partnership with Retro Biosciences to automate the manufacturing of next-generation therapies