August 11, 2025 4:37pm

The present and future value of RegMed Investors (RMi) analysis sheds light on the cell and gene therapy sector’s “current” acrobatics

Earnings: Agenus (AGEN) and Compass Therapeutics (CMPX) <see The Bottom Line>

  • Q2 results to date:  4 net incomes and 19 net losses of 23 releases to date

The thing about trading stocks is everyone has an opinion. There is a distinct difference between investing with indication intelligence and/or guidance to understand potential risks and reward.

Never leave an investor uninformed! 

 

It’s hard to be right so often, it’s about defining insight. Who speaks out while standing in-front, beside and behind investors – RMi

As a quantamental “plotter” I equate myself to a quantitative analyst straddling fundamental stock picking to produce better results for investors. the term “quantamental,” blends two (2) styles setting forth my difference re: retail, trading and multiple investor categories.

On point, short on words, long on informing facts and being judicious!

 

Monday’s RegMed Investors’ (RMi) pre-open: the sector needs some Viagra … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/14056

Friday’s RegMed Investors’ (RMi) Closing Bell: Indexes climb as cell and gene therapy continues stumbling … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/14055

RegMed Investors (RMi) Research Note: Harvard Apparatus GT (OTCQB): Navigating the next re-calibration, yet another "Exempt Offering of Securities" … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13812

 

Monday: The Dow closed DOWN -200.52 points or -0.45%, the S&P closed DOWN -16 points or -0.25% while the Nasdaq closed DOWN -64.62 points or -0.30%

  • Theme of the session, losses awaiting inflation readings

Henry’omics: We need to more than consider the economic environment - rising rates and inflation to comprehend the micro re “our” universe of cell and gene therapy

  • None

Monday’s advance/decline line opened positive with 20 incliners, 15 decliners and 0 flat ending with a negative close of 10 incliners, 25 decliners and 0 flat

Metrics:  Monday, the IBB was down -0.30%, the XBI was down -0.23% while the VIX was up +0.90 points or +5.94% at 16.05

 

Q3 – August – 6 negative and 1 positive closes

  • July – 1 market holiday, 13 positive and 9 negative closes

Q2/25: June – 1 market holiday, 1 neutral, 9 negative and 11 positive closes, May – 1 market holiday, 10 negative and 11 positive closes and April – 11 positive and 10 negative closes

 

Monday Closing UP (10 of 10) 

  • Lenz Therapeutics (LENZ +$4.09 after Friday’s +$2.56),
  • uniQure NV (QURE +$0.88 after Friday’s -$0.17),
  • Compass Therapeutics (CMPX +$0.64),
  • CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP +$0.41 after Friday’s -$0.96),
  • IQVIA Holdings (IQV +$0.28 after Friday’s +$0.97),
  • AxoGen (AXGN +$0.11 after Friday’s +$0.17),
  • Cellectis SA (CLLS +$0.05),
  • MiMedx (MDXG -$0.02),
  • Wave Life Sciences (WFE -$0.01),
  • Fate Therapeutics (FATE +$0.0243),

Flat (0)

Monday’s Closing DOWN (10 of 25): 

  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY -$3.93 after Friday’s +$3.83),
  • BioNTech (BNTX -$2.40 after Friday’s +$0.31),
  • Vericel (VCEL -$0.81 after Friday’s +$0.09),
  • Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS -$0.80 after Friday’s +$0.59),
  • Supernus Pharmaceuticals (SUPN -$0.66 after Friday’s -$0.23),
  • Moderna (MRNA -$0.65 after Friday’s -$0.49),
  • Agenus (AGEN -$0.53 after Friday’s +$0.04),
  • Beam Therapeutics (BEAM -$0.45 after Friday’s -$0.24),
  • Regenxbio RGNX -$0.39),
  • Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT -$0.33 after Friday’s +$0.27),

 

The BOTTOM LINE:  Indexes fell slightly on Monday as traders braced for key U.S. inflation reports due out later in the week.

  • Inflation readings this week will prove a key hurdle for a broad market index near record highs.
  • The consumer price index, which is set to be released Tuesday, and the producer price index, due out Thursday, will be critical in shaping the outlook for the direction of interest rates, especially for the Fed’s September meeting.
  • Hotter inflation prints could hinder the market’s advance.
  • Economists are forecasting the July CPI will show a 0.2% increase month-over-month and a 2.8% increase annually, according to estimates.
  • Core CPI which excludes volatile food and energy prices — is expected to rise 0.3% on a monthly basis and 3.1% yearly. This would respectively be a 0.2% and 0.9% increase from June’s levels.
  • The inflation data comes ahead of the Fed’s Jackson Hole meeting in Wyoming on Aug. 21-23, could set the tone for the September meeting.
  • While the market is now pricing in an 87% chance of a rate cut next month, investors may be getting ahead of themselves. <CNB and me>

A bad:  Bicycle Therapeutics (BCYC) is laying off 25% of its workforce.

  • In a separate securities filing, BCYC laid out plans to reduce its workforce by one-quarter.
  • Between the layoffs and other cost-cutting steps, Bicycle said it expects operational savings of around 30% over the course of its financial runway, which is now into 2028.
  • The layoffs will cost BCYC around $5.3 M for severance and other termination benefits, which it expects to largely incur in the third quarter of 2025.
  • BCYC’s latest annual report shows it had 305 employees at the end of 2024, with 188 in the United Kingdom and 117 in the United States. That means around 76 workers could be losing their jobs.
  • Bicycle’s main U.S. presence is in Massachusetts, where it leases 23,000 square feet of office and lab space in Cambridge and 11,000 square feet of office and laboratory space in Lexington, according to its annual report. Its U.S. base is listed as 35 Cambridge Park Drive in Cambridge. In the UK, Bicycle has about 45,000 square feet of office and laboratory space in Cambridge.
  • BCYC cited the “evolving macroeconomic environment and the importance of preserving capital” as driving its decision. <Boston Business Journal>

 

My perspective is retail investors should roll-the-dice with econ readings as earnings season kicks-in and momentum wains in the cell and gene therapy sector.

  • NO all ins as historically “our” universe slips and slides as the “season’ resumes; so, hang-in with those with solid partners, lengthened runways and solid cash positions leveraged by solid/stable management teams!

This week, investors will assess a fresh inflation print in the lead-up to the Fed's Jackson Hole symposium.

  • Optimism over a September Fed rate cut has grown since last week's poor labor market data release. Trump's nomination of Miran to serve as a Fed board governor has also fueled speculation that the central bank will be less restrictive in its monetary policy.

The summer doldrums and the earnings release cycle have … led to cell and gene therapy sector pullbacks in July and August with an upcoming hope for a share pricing ascension/rise in September.

  • Investors are squirming through this depreciation but should bask in an upcoming rally and should be focused on buying these dips and not sell the rips to play catch-up…
  • Botton line, once earnings season abates, cell and gene therapy equities will be due for gains over the coming months, as they face a 2-prong seasonally weak period.

 

Reiterating, the market is … also bracing for a historically weak month … August is the worst month for the Dow in data going back to 1988, and the 2nd worst for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq according to the Stock Trader’s Almanac.

  • Investors should buckle up as August and September roll around, according to Canaccord Genuity pointing to the historical underperformance of the 2 months — particularly September, known as “The September Effect.”
  • “Going back to 1957, the S&P 500 in September has been down on average -0.74% and has shown positive performance only 43% of the time. August on its own is marginally better with an average return of ~0.20%, and Aug-Sep taken together is the worst-performing 2-month sequential combination on the calendar,” the bank wrote.

Welcome to my world of defining the “grey’ in our universe!

  • Right up front, “I also hate to be so negative or contrarian but, this is a NO spin zone and facts are its product; I can always be WRONG but … I am mostly EARLY!”

Earnings today:

Compass Therapeutics (CMPX) a net loss of -$19.9 M or -$0.14 per share, zero (0) revenue, a cash position of $9.5 M with $91 M due from Kydus transaction in Q3/25 and an upcoming runway until 2027

Agenus (AGEN) a net loss of -$30 M or -$1.00 per share, revenue of $25.7 M, a cash position of $38.3 M with a runway until Q4/25

More earnings are a’comin: Thursday - Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics (BCLI)

 

August bagins as July ended: understand the “flow” …

  • 8/11 – Monday closed negative with 10 positive, 25 negative and 0 flat
  • 8/8 – Friday closed negative with 11 positive, 23 negative and 1 flat
  • 8/7 – Thursday closed negative with 9 positive, 24 negative and 2 flats
  • 8/6 - Wednesday closed negative with 11 positive, 22 negative and 2 flats
  • 8/5 – Tuesday closed negative with 15 positive, 19 negative and 1 flat
  • 8/4 – Monday closed positive with 27 positive, 8 negative and 0 flat
  • 8/1 – Friday closed negative with 9 positive, 20 negative and 6 flats

 

“I hate to be so negative or contrarian but, this is a NO spin zone and truth is its product; I can always be WRONG but, I am mostly EARLY!”

  • If I have learned one thing as a former research analyst in a venture and public fund, operating executive, x-FBI, x-military officer and an adjunct (MBA) business school professor now a journalist; my life and your portfolio are largely tied to knowledge of price movements and questioning pricing targets and more.
  • I was once told by a “very” prominent figure early in my career, “write it right, keep it tight without hype and never lose the stride to guide the reader” – they were pretty simple instructions to follow!

 

Why do I keep repeating, so investors can make the connection …

The top three (3) performing in the session:   

  • Monday: Lenz Pharmaceuticals (LENZ), uniQure NV (QURE) and Compass Therapeutics (CMPX)
  • Friday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Lenz Pharmaceuticals (LENZ) and BioLife Solutions (BLFS)

The worst three (3) in the session: 

  • Monday: BioNTech (BNTX), Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) and Vericel (VCEL)
  • Friday: Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA), CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) and Moderna (MRNA)

 

Opinions expressed are those of the author and are subject to change, and not intended to be a forecast of future events, a guarantee of future results, nor investment advice. Whether information or intelligence is good, bad, or somewhere in between; I put into context what is relevant and useful for investors.  All investments are subject to risks. Investors should consider investment objectives.

Henry McCusker, the editor, and publisher of RegMed Investors does not hold or have positions in securities referred to in this publication. Regulation Analyst Certification (Reg AC): The research analyst primarily responsible for the content of this report certifies the following under Reg AC: I hereby certify that all views expressed in this report accurately reflect my personal views about the subject company or companies and it’s or their securities.

I also certify that no part of my compensation was, is or will be, directly or indirectly, related to the specific recommendations or views expressed in this report.