By Donald Zuhn --
In August, we noted
negative economic indicators for the biotech/pharma industry were finally giving
way to more positive signs (see
"Is Biotech/Pharma Beginning to Bounce Back?"). Among the positive signs was the return
of the biotech/pharma initial public offering (IPO), with Cumberland
Pharmaceuticals becoming the first U.S. drug company to go public in nearly two
years, and Seattle Genetics and Inspire Pharmaceuticals announcing IPOs shortly
thereafter. A few additional
biotech/pharma companies have now joined or are expected to soon join the fray.
This week, Seattle-based
Omeros Corp. announced
that 6.82 million shares of its common stock would begin selling at $10.00 per
share on the NASDAQ Global Market on Thursday under the ticker symbol
OMER. On Friday, Omeros' shares
closed at $8.46. The company
announced that the proceeds of its IPO would be used to fund the completion of
Phase III clinical trials and subsequent commercialization of its product
candidate OMS103HP, for improving postoperative joint function and reducing
postoperative pain during arthroscopic surgery. Omeros also intends to use the IPO proceeds on two other
product candidates it has in the clinic:
OMS302 for ophthalmology and OMS201 for urology.
Talecris Biotherapeutics
Holdings Corp., based in Research Triangle Park, NC, announced
the closing of its own IPO on Wednesday.
According to a Bloomberg
report,
Talecris raised $950 million in the second-largest IPO in the U.S. this year. Talecris's shares, which were initially
offered
at $19 each, were trading at $21.18 on Friday. Talecris makes protein therapies such as Prolastin and
Gamunex, which are derived from human blood plasma and which are used in the
treatment of immune deficiencies and disorders.
In September, the San Francisco Business Times reported
that Anthera Pharmaceuticals of Hayward, CA had registered with the U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission for the purpose of selling up to $70 million in stock
on the NASDAQ exchange under the symbol ANTH. According to the Business
Times, Anthera has an anti-inflammatory drug ready for Phase III clinical
trials and two other drugs ready for Phase II trials.
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