On October 16th, the Aescap Life Sciences fund gained 11,7% and the Genetics fund 12,5%.

This rise was driven by our holdings in ProQR Therapeutics (in both funds) and Wave Life Sciences (Genetics fund).

The increase in both companies was caused by data from a clinical trial for a Wave Life Sciences medicine. This product uses an RNA-editing technology patented by ProQR. ProQR itself is developing several medicines based on this technology, 10 of which are out-licensed to multinational Eli Lilly.

At close of trading yesterday:
– ProQR: +122% YTD +103%
– Wave: +74% YTD +195%

Prior to the news, ProQR made up 7% of both the Aescap Life Sciences Fund and the Genetics Fund. Wave was 2% of Aescap Genetics.

A number of other Genetics portfolio companies also made significant gains, including gene therapy company Uniqure (up 15%) and Rocket Pharmaceuticals (up 8%).

We are expecting important news from several portfolio companies later this year.

For the first time in history, a company has demonstrated an effective treatment for Huntington’s disease.

Japan’s Asahi Kasei Corp. announced that it intends to buy Calliditas Therapeutics at a premium of 83%. Yesterday, Calliditas closed at SEK 113,6. Asahi Kasei’s offer is SEK 208. 

AstraZeneca announced that it has come to an agreement to acquire Aescap Life Sciences portfolio company Fusion Pharmaceuticals for $ 21 and a CVR (Contingent value right) of $ 3 per share.

Aescap portfolio company 4DMT saw its share price increase by 85% yesterday after it announced positive results from its clinical trial for a gene therapy treatment of a form of macular degeneration (Wet AMD).

The biotech sector has been going through some heavy turmoil since the start of the Covid-19 epidemic. Nonetheless, with the sector being back on track but still being seriously undervalued compared to other sectors, it is a promising sector for investors again. Read why!

Today, the FDA approved the world’s first ‘gene-editing’ therapy, Casgevy. This treatment for sickle cell disease (SCD) is based on the 2020 Nobel Prize-winning CRISPR/Cas9 technology and is developed by Aescap portfolio companies Crispr and Vertex

Aescap portfolio company Ionis announced today that its medicine candidate Olezarsen has shown a statistically significant reduction in triglyceride levels in a phase 3 clinical study.

Aescap portfolio company Rocket Pharmaceuticals yesterday went up 39% after it came to an agreement with the FDA that it only needs to enroll 12 patients in a pivotal clinical trial with their gene therapy for a fatal heart disease.

Promising undervalued biotech companies offer an excellent opportunity for significant future returns. Waiting until the sector is back in the spotlight often results in a missed opportunity. As share prices will have risen by then.