Biotech iQ Recap for the Week Ending May 16, 2025
Welcome to the BiQ Weekly Recap #17!
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While I publish several articles and updates each week, please remember that Biotech iQ is much more than a newsletter service. BiQ's most valuable tools are found on the Biotech iQ website (www.biotechiq.com). These include:
- The Active Portfolio displays a list of all companies currently included in Active Coverage, together with their outlook and ratings.
- The Catalyst Tracker & Events Calendar displays a quarter-by-quarter list of upcoming catalysts and a calendar of forthcoming events.
- The News Feed displays an RSS feed of all press releases from companies covered at Biotech iQ (if the company provides RSS services).
- BiQ Community Chat
Weekly Overview
The index closed last Friday at 76.37, opened Monday at 78.06, and closed Friday at 79.01 for a weekly gain of 3.5%. It reached an intra-week high of 80.06 and a low of 75.72 for an intra-week range of 5.7%.
Zooming out to the one-month chart, we can see that following the strong run in April, the index appears to have fallen into a two-week trading range, between approximately 76 and 80. I believe markets still face significant headwinds from ongoing trade negotiations and uncertainty regarding the future direction of the FDA. Now, I expect we can add anxiety over the implications of MFN (Most Favored Nation) pricing to the list. We still have a long way to go before we're clear of these headwinds, and it will take time to work through these uncertainties. I continue to maintain elevated liquidity levels and sell Call options where they make sense.
Zooming out further to the five-year chart, we can see that the index has now bounced off the 64 to 66 level three times: in June 2022, October 2023, and most recently in April 2025. While I am cautiously hopeful that we may see a recovery to the 85-88 resistance level, volatility remains elevated, and it's difficult to make any predictions.
Biotech Industry News & Commentary
As I always like to say, there's never a dull moment in biotech for us science geeks, and this past week was no exception. In a study published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, a multidisciplinary team of physicians, scientists, and biotech companies delivered the world's first personalized CRISPR therapy to an infant diagnosed with Severe Carbamoyl Phosphate Synthetase 1 (CPS1), a potentially fatal disease that exhibits a 50% mortality rate in early infancy. You can read more about the study in the NEJM here, or in GEN here.
It's remarkable to think that 20 years ago, this type of personalized gene therapy would have seemed like science fiction, while 20 years from now, I expect it could very well become part of standard medical practice. Although investors appear to have become disenchanted with gene therapy companies for the moment, the field continues to advance rapidly on a seemingly daily basis, undeterred by investor apathy. In the current politically charged environment, where science seems to be a popular target for politically motivated attacks, it's encouraging to see that scientists continue to quietly do their work to better the human experience.
There was a time when scientists were considered heroes of the modern age. Charles Darwin, Max Planck, Stephen Hawking, Albert Einstein, Louis Pasteur, and so many others. All were men and women of passion, deep conviction, and a strong belief that science was not an attempt to disprove the existence of a higher power, but instead, to reveal its grand design in whatever humble capacity they could. It was Albert Einstein who once wrote:
Everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the Universe-a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble.
Or in the words of Charles Darwin:
The impossibility of conceiving that this grand and wondrous universe, with our conscious selves, arose through chance, seems to me the chief argument for the existence of God.
Philosophical musings aside, one of the many things I love about biotech is how it sits at the very intersection of science and business. It is a wondrous achievement of our modern capital markets that biotech companies are empowered to turn science into real-world therapies that help physicians save lives–every single day.
Just something to think about next time you're sitting at your computer after a disappointing earnings call and asking yourself why you decided to be a biotech investor.
BiQ Service Updates
- The issue with the Events Calendar has been resolved. If subscribers experience any further issues, please report them to support@biotechiq.net.
BiQ Realized Gains & Losses
Biotech iQ is oriented towards long-term investing; it is not an active trading service. Typically, I only fully exit positions if the long-term thesis and risk/reward no longer appear attractive. The BiQ Realized Gains & Losses spreadsheet displays all realized gains and losses since BiQ was launched last year. Premium members can also view the current performance of the BiQ Active Portfolio on the Active Portfolio page of the Biotech iQ website.
BiQ Premium Membership Promotions
For subscribers interested in a Premium membership to Biotech iQ, I am now offering three promotions for new subscribers:
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