September 12, 2025 4:52pm

A week of alternating negative/positive sector closes

Reiterating, “The sector is what it is, until it isn’t, even if it doesn’t seem to be, it yet will be.” 

News: Merck (MRK) is moving all R&D operations out of UK, Eli Lilly (LLY) is reconsidering UK biotech incubator, pausing buildout and to top it off a report that HHC/CDC advisor/health officials plan to link Covid shots to the deaths of around 2 dozen children <see below>

Never leave an investor uninformed! 

TGIF

I answer or qualify the sector’s equity’s movement; with an emphasis on which company is gaining or losing stride in your portfolio for the short-term

 

Out & About:

Merck (MRK) <continued>: Less than 2 years after breaking ground on a ballyhooed 1 B pound sterling (US $1.31 billion) R&D center and future U.K. headquarters in London, MRK is not only bailing on the project but is discontinuing all of its research operations in Britain, citing an unwelcoming business environment for drugmakers.

  • The decision “reflects the challenges of the U.K. not making meaningful progress towards addressing the lack of investment in the life science industry and the overall undervaluation of innovative medicines and vaccines by successive U.K. governments.”
  • As part of the decision, MRK will vacate laboratories at the London Bioscience Innovation Centre and the Francis Crick Institute by the end of 2025, impacting approximately 125 positions. The pharma said it will be moving the U.K.-based R&D operations to the U.S. <Fierce Biotech>

Eli Lilly (LLY) is reconsidering UK biotech incubator, pauses buildout: LLY is reconsidering plans for its U.K. biotech-focused Gateway Labs (designed to be biotech accelerators with lab space and support for researchers) citing concerns about the industry’s outlook in the country and low government spending on new drugs, according to reports from several outlets.   LLY has hit the pause button due to the low prices paid by the country’s National Health Service.   

Vaccine makers’ Moderna (MRNA) dropped as much as 8.7%, Pfizer (PFE) fell -3.6%. BioNTech’s (BNTX) US-traded shares sank -14%.

  • After a report that HHC/FDA/CDC health officials plan to link Covid shots to the deaths of around 2 dozen children in a presentation to advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention next week.
  • A group of health officials appear to use the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, or VAERS, to tie the deaths of 25 children to Covid vaccines. A high-profile advisory committee that Kennedy revamped to include vaccine critics is scheduled to discuss the shots from companies including Pfizer Inc., Moderna and BioNTech SE at its meeting next week. <Washington Post>
  • To top it off: Moderna (MRNA) shares dropped -7.40%, Pfizer (PFE) shares fell -3.94%. BioNTech’s (BNTX) US-traded shares sank -7.57%.

 

Friday’s RegMed Investors’ (RMi) pre-open: Waiting for Jerome and consumer confidence … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/14103

RegMed Investors (RMi) Research Note: Harvard Apparatus GT (OTCQB): Just another wrinkle – Q2/25’s 10-Q – liabilities exceed cash position … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/13812

 

Friday: The Dow closed DOWN -273.78 points or -0.59%, the S&P closed DOWN -3.18 points or -0.05% while the Nasdaq closed UP +98.03 points or +0.44%

  • Theme of the session, as indexes slip; while investors anticipate weakening jobs and “tepid” inflation reports anticipate the Fed will lower interest rates next week

Henry’omics: We need to factor-in to more than consider the economic environment to comprehend the micro/daily positions re “our” universe of cell and gene therapy

  • Consumer sentiment dropped in September to its lowest level since May, according to the University of Michigan preliminary September reading of its Survey of Consumers fell to 55.4. That’s below the 58.1 economists had expected and down from 58.2 in August.

Friday’s my 40-company covered sector’s advance/decline line opened negative with 6 incliners, 33 decliners and 1 flat ending with a negative close of 4 incliners, 34 decliners and 2 flats

Metrics:  Friday, the IBB was down -2.82%, the XBI was down -1.58% while the VIX was up +0.020. points or +0.14% at 14.73

 

Q3 – 1 holiday, 4 negative and 5 positive closes

  • August – 12 negative and 9 positive closes
  • July – 1 market holiday, 13 positive and 9 negative closes

 

Friday Closing UP (4 of 4)

  • Lenz Therapeutics (LENZ +$0.52 after Thursday’s -$0.90 and Wednesday’s +$1.82),
  • CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP +$0.37 after Thursday’s +$4.08 and Wednesday’s -$1.88),
  • Solid Biosciences (SLDB +$0.08),
  • Compass Therapeutics (CMPX +$0.04),

Flat (2)

  • Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (ARWR $0.00 after Thursday’s +$0.83, Wednesday’s +$1.16, Tuesday’s +$0.56 and Monday’s -$1.91),
  • Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA),

Friday’s Closing DOWN (10 of 34):

  • BioNTech SE (BNTX -$7.57 after Thursday’s +$3.31 after Wednesday’s -$1.09, Tuesday’s -$0.57 and Monday’s -$9.80),
  • IQV Holdings (IQV -$3.47 after Thursday’s +$6.77 after Wednesday’s -$5.77 and Tuesday’s +$1.99),
  • Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX -$2.84 after Thursday’s +$8.82 after Wednesday’s -$7.93, Tuesday’s +$1.23 and Monday’s -$0.87),
  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY -$2.69 after Thursday’s -$0.73 after Wednesday’s -$12.82, Tuesday’s +$27.10 and Monday’s +$3.03),
  • Moderna (MRNA -$1.88 after Thursday’s +$1.08),
  • Vericel (VCEL -$1.35),
  • BioLife Solutions (BLFS -$1.23),
  • Supernus Therapeutics (SUPR -$1.20),
  • Beam Therapeutics (BEAM -$0.95 after Thursday’s +$1.67, Wednesday’s -$0.49, Tuesday’s +$0.42 and Monday’s -$0.94),
  • Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals (RARE -$0.92 after Thursday’s -$0.06)
  • Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS -$0.88),

 

The BOTTOM LINE:  More of the … WHYs …

The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment reading fell more than expected, to 55.4. 1-year inflation expectations were up 4.8%, meeting estimates. And 5 to 10-year inflation expectations were up 3.9%, above the 3.4% estimate.

  • The Dow and S&P dived as Nasdaq closed positive Friday, as investors digested consumer sentiment release/survey.
  • Although, on the Russell 2000 small caps underperformed and fell 0.7% while volume was lower on the Nasdaq compared with Thursday.
  • The 10-year Treasury yield ticked up to 4.06%.

 

Reiterating from Monday, “The cell and gene therapy are riding the skids of “uncle algo and his electronic trading dwarfs” skid while currently residing and staying in a … catalyst vacuum with more downside drift potentially coming into the markets which is … flirting with all-time highs in a … seasonally weak period.”

  • Today’s consumer sentiment offers uncertain mix of upcoming inflation pressures
  • Yesterday’s market received yet another sign that inflation’s slowing, as weekly jobless claims saw a surprise jump after job growth figures were revised down earlier this week

… unless there’s some event out of left field with regard to tariffs or who knows what …

 

September: understand the “flow” …

  • 9/12 – Friday closed negative with 4 positive, 34 negative and 2 flats
  • 9/11 - Thursday closed positive with 27 positive, 11 negative and 2 flats
  • 9/10 – Wednesday closed negative with 13 positive, 26 negative and 1 flat
  • 9/9 - Tuesday closed positive with 24 positive, 15 negative and 1 flat
  • 9/8 – Monday closed negative with 10 positive, 28 negative and 2 flats
  • 9/5 - Friday closed positive with 35 positive, 5 negative and 0 flat
  • 9/4 – Thursday closed negative with 17 positive, 21 negative and 2 flats
  • 9/3 - Wednesday closed positive with 22 positive, 16 negative and 2 flats
  • 9/2 -Tuesday closed positive with 22 positive, 18 negative and 0 flat
  • 9/1 - Monday was a holiday

 

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

  • “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:   

  • Friday: Solid Biosciences (SLDB), Lenz Therapeutics (LENZ) and CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP)
  • Thursday: Vertex (VRTX), IQV Holdings (IQV) and CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP)
  • Wednesday: Lenz Therapeutics (LENZ), Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (ARWR) and Mesoblast (MESO)
  • Tuesday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS) and IQV Holdings (IQV)
  • Monday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Prime Medicine (PRME) and Harvard Apparatus RT (OTCQB: HRGN)

The worst three (3) in the session: 

  • Friday: BioNTech (BNTX), Vertex (VRTX) and IQV Holdings (IQV)
  • Thursday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Lenz Therapeutics (LENZ) and uniQure NV (QURE)
  • Wednesday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Vertex (VRTX) and IQVIA Holdings (IQV)
  • Tuesday: Vericel (VCEL), BioNTech (BNTX) and CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP)
  • Monday: BioNTech (BNTX), Lenz Therapeutics (LENZ) and Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (ARWR)

 

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.