For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – August 30, 2017 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include Gilead Sciences, Inc.(NASDAQ:GILD – Free Report), Kite Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:KITE – Free Report), AbbVie’s (NYSE:ABBV – Free Report) and Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS – Free Report).
Today, Zacks is promoting its ''Buy'' stock recommendations. Get #1Stock of the Day pick for free.
Here are highlights from Tuesday’s Analyst Blog:
Gilead to Fly High with Kite Pharma Acquisition
Biotech giant Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD – Free Report) announced that it will buy Kite Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:KITE – Free Report) to foray into the emerging field of cell therapy.
Terms of the Agreement
As per the agreement, Gilead will pay $180.00 per share in cash at a transaction valued at approximately $11.9 billion. The price represents a 28% premium over the closing share price of Kite as of Aug 25, 2017.
The transaction was approved by shareholders of both companies and is expected to close by the fourth quarter of 2017. The acquisition is expected to be neutral to the bottom line by the third year and accretive thereafter.
Strategic Benefit
We note that Kite is a pioneer in cell therapy having developed engineered cell therapies that express either a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) or an engineered T cell receptor (TCR), depending on the type of cancer. The most advanced therapy candidate in Kite’s pipeline is axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) which is being developed for the treatment of refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which includes diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), transformed follicular lymphoma (TFL) and primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL). The Biologics License Application (BLA) for the candidate was submitted in Mar 2017.
This CAR T therapy is currently under priority review in the United States and the FDA is expected to give a decision on Nov 29, 2017. The candidate is also under review in the EU with a tentative approval expected in 2018. While Kite is prepared for a commercial launch in the United States as manufacturing preparation are complete, the company is currently building infrastructure in Europe. We remind investors that another pipeline candidate in clinical trials in both hematologic cancers and solid tumors is KITE-585, a CAR T therapy candidate that targets BCMA expressed in multiple myeloma.
Our Take
The acquisition will diversify Gilead’s portfolio and position the company in a dominant position in cellular therapy space.
We note that investors were expecting Gilead to announce an acquisition in the near term given the decline in the once lucrative hepatitis C (HCV) market due to competitive pressure. Gilead is known for its presence in the HCV market because of its blockbuster HCV drugs, Sovaldi and Harvoni. However, the HCV franchise is under pressure because of competition and pricing issues.
We note that Harvoni, Sovaldi and Epclusa face competition from AbbVie’s (NYSE:ABBV – Free Report) Viekira Pak and Viekira XR, among others. Moreover, Gilead was sitting on $21.1 billion of cash and short-term marketable securities. Hence, an acquisition announcement was lurking.
CAR T is manufactured for each individual patient using their own cells thereby making it different from typical small molecule or biologic therapies. During the treatment process, T cells are drawn from a patient's blood. These cells are then reprogrammed in the manufacturing facility to create T cells that are genetically coded to express a chimeric antigen receptor to recognize and fight cancer cells and other Bcells expressing a specific antigen.
While the deal might look expensive given the premium Gilead paid for Kite, the CAR T space is expected to be revolutionary in treatments for cancer. The CAR T space represents immense potential at this juncture and a potential approval of axi-cell will be a significant boost for Gilead’s prospects which has dampened of late.
Gilead’s stock has declined 4.3% in the year so far, against the industry’s 9.3%.
Apart from Kite, Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS – Free Report) is another company that is focussed on CAR T treatments. In July, the FDA Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) unanimously recommended the approval of immunocellular therapy candidate CTL019 (tisagenlecleucel) and a decision is expected shortly (September-October).
CTL019 could become the first CAR T cell therapy if approved. CTL019, an investigational CAR-T therapy, is being evaluated for the treatment of relapsed or refractory (r/r) pediatric and young adult patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). A potential approval will also open new frontiers in the treatment of cancer by advancing immunocellular therapy for children and young adults with r/r B-cell ALL.
On the other hand, shares of Kite were up 28% on the news as the company will immensely benefit from Gilead’s dominant position in the biotech space upon an anticipated approval for its lead candidate. In fact, this year so far, Kite Pharma’s stock is up 297.1%, which compares favorably with a 9.3% increase registered by the industry.
Zacks Rank
Gilead currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Zacks' 10-Minute Stock-Picking Secret
Since 1988, the Zacks system has more than doubled the S&P 500 with an average gain of +25% per year. With compounding, rebalancing and exclusive of fees, it can turn thousands into millions of dollars.
But here's something even more remarkable: You can master this proven system without going to a single class or seminar. And then you can apply it to your portfolio in as little as 10 minutes a month.
Learn the secret >>
About Zacks Equity Research
Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.
Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.
Strong Stocks that Should Be in the News
Many are little publicized and fly under the Wall Street radar. They're virtually unknown to the general public. Yet today's 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buys" were generated by the stock-picking system that has nearly tripled the market from 1988 through 2015. Its average gain has been a stellar +26% per year.See these high-potential stocks free >>.
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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss.This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
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The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Gilead Sciences, Kite Pharma, AbbVie's and Novartis AG
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – August 30, 2017 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include Gilead Sciences, Inc.(NASDAQ:GILD – Free Report), Kite Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:KITE – Free Report), AbbVie’s (NYSE:ABBV – Free Report) and Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS – Free Report).
Today, Zacks is promoting its ''Buy'' stock recommendations. Get #1Stock of the Day pick for free.
Here are highlights from Tuesday’s Analyst Blog:
Gilead to Fly High with Kite Pharma Acquisition
Biotech giant Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD – Free Report) announced that it will buy Kite Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:KITE – Free Report) to foray into the emerging field of cell therapy.
Terms of the Agreement
As per the agreement, Gilead will pay $180.00 per share in cash at a transaction valued at approximately $11.9 billion. The price represents a 28% premium over the closing share price of Kite as of Aug 25, 2017.
The transaction was approved by shareholders of both companies and is expected to close by the fourth quarter of 2017. The acquisition is expected to be neutral to the bottom line by the third year and accretive thereafter.
Strategic Benefit
We note that Kite is a pioneer in cell therapy having developed engineered cell therapies that express either a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) or an engineered T cell receptor (TCR), depending on the type of cancer. The most advanced therapy candidate in Kite’s pipeline is axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) which is being developed for the treatment of refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which includes diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), transformed follicular lymphoma (TFL) and primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL). The Biologics License Application (BLA) for the candidate was submitted in Mar 2017.
This CAR T therapy is currently under priority review in the United States and the FDA is expected to give a decision on Nov 29, 2017. The candidate is also under review in the EU with a tentative approval expected in 2018. While Kite is prepared for a commercial launch in the United States as manufacturing preparation are complete, the company is currently building infrastructure in Europe. We remind investors that another pipeline candidate in clinical trials in both hematologic cancers and solid tumors is KITE-585, a CAR T therapy candidate that targets BCMA expressed in multiple myeloma.
Our Take
The acquisition will diversify Gilead’s portfolio and position the company in a dominant position in cellular therapy space.
We note that investors were expecting Gilead to announce an acquisition in the near term given the decline in the once lucrative hepatitis C (HCV) market due to competitive pressure. Gilead is known for its presence in the HCV market because of its blockbuster HCV drugs, Sovaldi and Harvoni. However, the HCV franchise is under pressure because of competition and pricing issues.
We note that Harvoni, Sovaldi and Epclusa face competition from AbbVie’s (NYSE:ABBV – Free Report) Viekira Pak and Viekira XR, among others. Moreover, Gilead was sitting on $21.1 billion of cash and short-term marketable securities. Hence, an acquisition announcement was lurking.
CAR T is manufactured for each individual patient using their own cells thereby making it different from typical small molecule or biologic therapies. During the treatment process, T cells are drawn from a patient's blood. These cells are then reprogrammed in the manufacturing facility to create T cells that are genetically coded to express a chimeric antigen receptor to recognize and fight cancer cells and other Bcells expressing a specific antigen.
While the deal might look expensive given the premium Gilead paid for Kite, the CAR T space is expected to be revolutionary in treatments for cancer. The CAR T space represents immense potential at this juncture and a potential approval of axi-cell will be a significant boost for Gilead’s prospects which has dampened of late.
Gilead’s stock has declined 4.3% in the year so far, against the industry’s 9.3%.
Apart from Kite, Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS – Free Report) is another company that is focussed on CAR T treatments. In July, the FDA Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) unanimously recommended the approval of immunocellular therapy candidate CTL019 (tisagenlecleucel) and a decision is expected shortly (September-October).
CTL019 could become the first CAR T cell therapy if approved. CTL019, an investigational CAR-T therapy, is being evaluated for the treatment of relapsed or refractory (r/r) pediatric and young adult patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). A potential approval will also open new frontiers in the treatment of cancer by advancing immunocellular therapy for children and young adults with r/r B-cell ALL.
On the other hand, shares of Kite were up 28% on the news as the company will immensely benefit from Gilead’s dominant position in the biotech space upon an anticipated approval for its lead candidate. In fact, this year so far, Kite Pharma’s stock is up 297.1%, which compares favorably with a 9.3% increase registered by the industry.
Zacks Rank
Gilead currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Zacks' 10-Minute Stock-Picking Secret
Since 1988, the Zacks system has more than doubled the S&P 500 with an average gain of +25% per year. With compounding, rebalancing and exclusive of fees, it can turn thousands into millions of dollars.
But here's something even more remarkable: You can master this proven system without going to a single class or seminar. And then you can apply it to your portfolio in as little as 10 minutes a month.
Learn the secret >>
About Zacks Equity Research
Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.
Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.
Strong Stocks that Should Be in the News
Many are little publicized and fly under the Wall Street radar. They're virtually unknown to the general public. Yet today's 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buys" were generated by the stock-picking system that has nearly tripled the market from 1988 through 2015. Its average gain has been a stellar +26% per year.See these high-potential stocks free >>.
Get the full Report on KITE - FREE
Get the full Report on GILD - FREE
Get the full Report on ABBV - FREE
Get the full Report on NVS - FREE
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/zacksresearch
Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts
Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.
Media Contact
Zacks Investment Research
800-767-3771 ext. 9339
support@zacks.com
https://www.zacks.com/
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss.This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.