December 17, 2025 5:00pm

Hope is NOT a technical indicator, now is the time to be limiting exposure in some equities!

Capricor Therapeutics’ (CAPR) webinar, further note: CEO couldn’t even sell her company’s data effectively

RMi collects, curates, interprets and disseminates cell and gene therapy sector (C&GT) fact-based news, trusted and verified intel and share pricing data to bridge the gap to an investment decision

It’s not always time to buy or sell; but it is time to KNOW and why!

Never leave a retail investor uninformed! 

I write this blog/newsletter to inform investors with facts and supporting numbers focused on what they need to hear that others will not say or write about – facts in evidence! 

 

RMi Research Note: Capricor Therapeutics (CAPR) overvalued, overbought and headed to a BIGGER slide … https://www.regmedinvestors.com/articles/14233

 

I also, follow the dictum, quoting Churchill that “short words are best, and the old words when short are best of all.”

Wednesday: The Dow closed DOWN -228.29 points or -0.47%, the S&P closed DOWN -78.75 points or -1.16% while the Nasdaq closed DOWN -418.139 points or -1.81%

  • Theme of the session: Risky financing schemes tied to companies’ data center buildout plans have kept investors on edge in recent weeks <CNBC>

Wednesday’s (my) 40-company covered sector’s advance/decline line opened positive with 31 incliners, 7 decliners and 2 flats ending with a negative close of 12 incliners, 26 decliners and 2 flats

  • More rotation as the S&P 500 posts 4-day losing streak while Nasdaq tumbled and Oracle (ORCL) sold off

Henry’omics: We need to more than consider the macro-economic environment to comprehend the micro re “our” universe of cell and gene therapy (C&GT) sector

  • More econs tomorrow

The CBOE Fear (VIX) index closed Wednesday at 17.66 after Tuesday’s 16.48, Monday’s 16.46 following Friday’s 15.81, Thursday’s 14.85 and last Wednesday’s 15.84

 

Metrics: Wednesday …

  • The RUT was down -27.01 points or -1.07%,
  • The XLV was down -0.28 points or -0.18%,
  • The NBI was down -31.75 points or -0.56%;
  • The XBI was down -1.07 points or -0.88%
  • The IWM was down -2.68 or -1.07%;
  • The IBB was down -0.58 points or -0.35%,
  • The VIX was up +1.18 points or +7.16% at to 17.66

 

Q4 – December – 4 positive and 9 negative closes

  • November – 1 holiday, 8 positive and 11 negative closes
  • October -1 neutral, 11 positive and 12 negative closes

 

Tuesday Closing UP (12 of 12)

  • AxoGen (AXGN +$2.04 after Tuesday’s -$0.43 after Monday’s -$0.38),
  • uniQure NV (QURE +$1.14 after Tuesday’s +$1.46 after Tuesday’s +$0.60),
  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY +$0.93),
  • Vericel (VCEL +$0.90 after Tuesday’s -$0.99),
  • Moderna (MRNA +$0.62),
  • Supernus Therapeutics (SUPN +$0.43 after Tuesday’s +$1.04 after Monday’s +$0.42),
  • Mesoblast (MESO +$0.41 after Tuesday’s +$0.58 after Monday’s -$0.31),
  • BioLife Solutions (BLFS +$0.40),
  • Arrowhead Pharma (ARWR +$0.14 after Tuesday’s -$3.79 after Monday’s -$1.51),
  • Capricor Therapeutics (CAPR +$0.13 after Tuesday’s -$0.53 after Monday’s +$0.64),
  • Precigen (PGEN +$0.11),
  • Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics (BCLI +$0.05)

Flat (2)

  • Adverum Biotechnologies ADVM) – acquired
  • Harvard Apparatus RT (OTCQB: HRGN $0.00 after Tuesday’s +$0.20) – Who is BUYING – Ponzi Scheme!

Wednesday’s Closing DOWN (10 of 26):

  • Vertex (VRTX -$5.44 after Tuesday’s +$0.75 after Monday’s +$3.57),
  • Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS -$1.29 after Tuesday’s -$1.39 after Monday’s -$1.21),
  • CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP -$1.23),
  • Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT -$1.17 after Tuesday’s +$0.76 after Monday’s +$0.20),
  • Beam Therapeutics (BEAM -$1.16),
  • Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals (RARE -$1.13 after Tuesday’s -$1.89 after Monday’s +$0.18),
  • Regenxbio (RGNX -$0.94 after Tuesday’s +$0.28),
  • BioNTech (BNTX -$0.63 after Tuesday’s -$1.52 after Monday’s -$0.77),
  • Solid Biosciences (SLDB -$0.44),
  • Lenz Therapeutics (LENZ +$0.33),

 

The Bottom Line: More of the … WHYs

  • AI stocks dragged the U.S. market lower, pulling Wall Street to its fourth straight loss and its worst in nearly a month.

Most C&GT sector equities Wednesday and Tuesday followed Monday decline after Friday and Thursday’s declines after inclining Wednesday then declining on Tuesday, follow-by positive closes on Monday, then last Friday’s dive, Thursday and Wednesday positive closes following negative closes on the previous Tuesday and Monday.

  • Markets are also waiting for another data shoe to drop: Thursday's update on consumer inflation in November.

Some BAD: Biotech to be acquired by Xoma (XOMA) for $4.2913 per share

  • Generation Bio (GBIO), which once raised over $235 M from major investors like Fidelity and T. Rowe Price before going public in 2020, is now being sold for a fraction of that amount.

Take it a session at a time … the REAL question is … how long will this sentiment and conviction “run” last in the “clean-out-the-exposure” December?

A question does NOT answer an inquiry; investors need more than a few catalysts that could revive a rally, I do NOT expect end end-of-year flurry!

  • Depleted market valuations and the uncertain payoff from heavy spending as we get closer to 2025 ends and then coming Q4 and FY25 financial and achievement results

 

3rd week of December:

  • 12/17 – Wednesday closed negative with 12 positive, 26 negative and 2 flats
  • 12/16- Tuesday closed negative with 17 positive, 21 negative and 2 flats
  • 12/15 – Monday closed negative with 15 positive, 23 negative and 2 flats

2nd December week:

  • 12/12 – Friday closed negative with 12 positive, 26 negative and 2 flats
  • 12/11 – Thursday closed negative with 18 positive, 19 negative and 3 flats
  • 12/10 – Wednesday closed positive with 24 positive, 12 negative and 4 flats
  • 12/9 - Tuesday closed negative with 10 positive, 27 negative and 3 flats
  • 12/8 - Monday closed positive with 22 positive, 16 negative and 2 flat

 

As the leading voice of cell and gene therapy investors; I am NOT always a doom and gloom analyst/journalist but a man who has been “there” (BUY, SELL, VC and multiple operating roles) with the gray hair and a readership following with real numbers to prove it!

 

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

  • I am more frequently right than consequentially wrong; if I wanted to be liked, I wouldn’t have been an analyst/journalist.
  • I also hate to be so negative or contrarian but, this is a NO spin zone and facts and truth are its products; I can always be WRONG but, I am mostly EARLY!”

 

Why do I keep repeating, framed in a different para, so investors can make the connection

The top three (3) performing in the session:   

  • Wednesday: AxoGen (AXGN), uniQure NV (QURE) and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY)
  • Tuesday: uniQure NV (QURE), Supernus Therapeutics (SUPN), and Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT)
  • Monday: Vertex (VRTX), IQVIA Holdings (IQV) and Moderna (MRNA)
  • Friday: Vertex (VRTX), Regenxbio (RGNX) and Supernus Therapeutics (SUPN)

The worst three (3) in the session:

  • Wednesday: Vertex (VRTX), Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS) and CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP)
  • Tuesday: Arrowhead Pharma (ARWR), IQVIA Holdings (IQV) and Ultragenyx Pharmaceuticals (RARE)
  • Monday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), Arrowhead Pharma (ARWR) and Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS)
  • Friday: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), IQVIA Holdings (IQV) and Arrowhead Pharma (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.