BioNxt Solutions, MorphoSys, BioNTech - Innovations and scaling potential for the portfolio

BioNxt Solutions - Acquisition of additional technology platform for strategic expansion

Since the Covid pandemic, investors know how intensively the development speed of a vaccine can affect company profits. Pfizer, Moderna and BioNTech have proven it: Digitization has reached the pharmaceutical industry. Where research and development cycles of about 10 years usually dominate, platform technologies now provide an opportunity to drive product commercialization rapidly.

The Canadian biotech company BioNxt (formerly XPhyto) is excellently positioned with its portfolio. Its business model includes point-of-care diagnostics, innovative drug delivery methods, and the mental health space with breakthrough compounds.

The faster the active ingredients of drugs enter the bloodstream and take effect, the sooner patients are helped. Orally administered drugs in particular are prescribed most frequently worldwide. Revenue from the sale of oral, fixed-dose drugs accounted for 23.8% of the global pharmaceutical drug delivery market in 2021. BioNxt (ISIN CA0909741062) is soon acquiring additional rights to a platform with a novel coating technology for solid oral dosage forms. "We are delighted to add another drug delivery platform to the technology portfolio," said Hugh Rogers, CEO & Director of BioNxt. "This novel coating system could significantly improve oral drug delivery in the form of tablets and capsules by providing more precise and predictable dosing. We see a wide range of potential applications, from dietary supplements and over-the-counter medications to prescription drugs and psychedelic substances."

The global oral solid dosage market was valued at USD 524.6 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 1.03 trillion by the end of 2032, growing rapidly at a CAGR of 6.4% during the study period 2022-2032, according to Fact.MR Research & Consulting.

MorphoSys - Target Price falls from EUR 16 to EUR 12, CFO resigns

The German company MorphoSys (ISIN DE0006632003) is currently experiencing stormy times. Goldman Sachs downgrades the Company from "neutral" to "sell". Their analysts forecast a price target of EUR 12.00. The reason given is the disappointing third quarter, increased competition and little chance of profit in the coming twelve months. Over the current year, the MorphoSys share fell by a whopping 62.82%.

In November, the Company suffered a major setback as an Alzheimer's drug candidate they developed in collaboration with Roche failed to meet its goal of slowing the progression of the memory-robbing disease in two separate trials.

Now, in addition, the chief financial officer is leaving the Company for personal reasons in March 2023. Sung Lee joined MorphoSys in Germany in February 2021. Through the acquisition of Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Sung helped build the Company's future growth and strengthened the pipeline with the first-line drug for myelofibrosis, a malignant bone marrow disease.

"The last two years have been an exciting time for MorphoSys as we sharpened the Company's strategy and accelerated our goal to become a leader in hematology oncology," said Sung Lee, Chief Financial Officer of MorphoSys. MorphoSys is committed to improving the lives of cancer patients. Its departments are located in Planegg, near Munich, Germany, and in Boston, MA, USA.

BioNTech - On track for growth in the Asia-Pacific region

A competitor on the radar in cancer therapy is BioNTech (ISIN US09075V1026), a biotech company based in Mainz, Germany. The Company will accelerate and expand the clinical development of its cancer immunotherapy pipeline in Asia-Pacific by increasing its manufacturing capacity in the region.

The first regional clinical trial sites will initially evaluate head and neck cancer candidates in Taiwan for novel cancer immunotherapies. BNT113 is expected to be the first of a "potential wave of novel cancer immunotherapies." The German company is bringing Taiwan's YongLin Healthcare Foundation and Retain Biotech AG on board to further develop plans for genomic medicine in oncology.

Last month, the parties signed a memorandum of understanding to develop this medical direction further. The YongLin Healthcare Foundation is funding this organization, which is involved in precision medicine and cell therapy. The Australian site in Melbourne is also earmarked as a launching point to develop the Pacific region.

In addition, BioNTech announced plans to establish an end-to-end clinical-scale mRNA production facility in Melbourne based on the BioNTainer solution to provide access to mRNA technology and foster research collaborations in the Asia-Pacific region. BioNTech has already established subsidiaries in Singapore, Shanghai and Melbourne. In addition, a representative office has been registered in Taipei, which is expected to become part of the Company's global network as regional innovation centers. These locations are expected to create hundreds of jobs in various functions by 2024.

The rally for the best possible digitization of the production process of pharmaceuticals and the associated rapid commercialization currently seems to be leading with BioNxt Solutions. The Company focuses on platform technology for oral drugs. MorphoSys, with its focus on oncology, has to be patient. After the setback with Roche, the CFO is now leaving the Company, and analysts are lowering the target price to EUR 12. BioNTech, on the other hand, is expanding its business in the Asia-Pacific region through collaborations and new production sites. The scaling opportunities of oral pharmaceuticals, oncology and the provision of production sites for mRNA active ingredients seem unlimited.