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Sanofi to Buy Vaccine Biotech Protein Sciences for $650M
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Sanofi (SNY - Free Report) announced plans to buy a Meriden, CT-based private vaccine biotech, Protein Sciences for an upfront payment of $650 million.
Protein Sciences’ influenza vaccine Flublok received FDA approval in October last year. Flubok is a non-egg based vaccine. It is expected to be a strategic fit to Sanofi’s strong portfolio of influenza vaccines. According to Sanofi, Flublok is the only recombinant protein-based influenza vaccine approved by the FDA. The acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017. Apart from the upfront payment, Sanofi will also be entitled to pay up to $100 million to Protein Sciences, if certain milestones are achieved.
So far this year, Sanofi’s shares have rallied 17.8%, outperforming the Zacks classified Large-Cap Pharma industry’s 11.1% gain.
Sanofi possesses one of the world’s leading vaccine operations which is the company’s key top-line driver.
The company’s portfolio includes pediatric vaccines, influenza vaccines, adult and adolescent booster vaccines, meningitis vaccines, and travel and endemic vaccines. Sanofi also holds a strong position in both seasonal and pre-pandemic influenza vaccine spaces.
Sanofi received a major impetus when Dengvaxia became the first vaccine to be approved in the world for the prevention of dengue. Sanofi has also beefed up its Chinese presence with a new vaccine manufacturing facility in Shenzhen. Sanofi continues to expand its vaccine business further.
In the first quarter of 2017, its Vaccines unit, Sanofi Pasteur, recorded €784 million sales, up 22.2% year over year due to the strong performance of pediatric combinations and influenza vaccines.
We expect a significant ramp up in vaccine sales in the next few years.
We remind investors that Sanofi and Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK - Free Report) ended their joint vaccines operations, known as Sanofi Pasteur MSD, in Europe in December last year.
Shares of AstraZeneca have rallied 23.1% so far this year. AstraZeneca’s earnings estimates for 2017 inched up 0.5% while that for 2018 moved up 3.3% in the last 60 days. Its earnings performance has also been pretty impressive, with consistent positive surprises. The average earnings beat for the last four quarters is 142.6%.
Bayer’s shares have moved up 20.9% so far this year. Its earnings estimates have improved 2.1% for both 2017 and 2018 over the last 60 days.
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Did you miss Apple's 9X stock explosion after they launched their iPhone in 2007? Now 2017 looks to be a pivotal year to get in on another emerging technology expected to rock the market. Demand could soar from almost nothing to $42 billion by 2025. Reports suggest it could save 10 million lives per decade which could in turn save $200 billion in U.S. healthcare costs.
A bonus Zacks Special Report names this breakthrough and the 8 best stocks to exploit it. Like Apple in 2007, these companies are already strong and coiling for potential mega-gains. Click to see them right now >>
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Sanofi to Buy Vaccine Biotech Protein Sciences for $650M
Sanofi (SNY - Free Report) announced plans to buy a Meriden, CT-based private vaccine biotech, Protein Sciences for an upfront payment of $650 million.
Protein Sciences’ influenza vaccine Flublok received FDA approval in October last year. Flubok is a non-egg based vaccine. It is expected to be a strategic fit to Sanofi’s strong portfolio of influenza vaccines. According to Sanofi, Flublok is the only recombinant protein-based influenza vaccine approved by the FDA. The acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017. Apart from the upfront payment, Sanofi will also be entitled to pay up to $100 million to Protein Sciences, if certain milestones are achieved.
So far this year, Sanofi’s shares have rallied 17.8%, outperforming the Zacks classified Large-Cap Pharma industry’s 11.1% gain.
Sanofi possesses one of the world’s leading vaccine operations which is the company’s key top-line driver.
The company’s portfolio includes pediatric vaccines, influenza vaccines, adult and adolescent booster vaccines, meningitis vaccines, and travel and endemic vaccines. Sanofi also holds a strong position in both seasonal and pre-pandemic influenza vaccine spaces.
Sanofi received a major impetus when Dengvaxia became the first vaccine to be approved in the world for the prevention of dengue. Sanofi has also beefed up its Chinese presence with a new vaccine manufacturing facility in Shenzhen. Sanofi continues to expand its vaccine business further.
In the first quarter of 2017, its Vaccines unit, Sanofi Pasteur, recorded €784 million sales, up 22.2% year over year due to the strong performance of pediatric combinations and influenza vaccines.
We expect a significant ramp up in vaccine sales in the next few years.
We remind investors that Sanofi and Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK - Free Report) ended their joint vaccines operations, known as Sanofi Pasteur MSD, in Europe in December last year.
Sanofi currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Other top-ranked stocks worth considering are AstraZeneca plc (AZN - Free Report) , with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and Bayer Aktiengesellschaft (BAYRY - Free Report) with a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Shares of AstraZeneca have rallied 23.1% so far this year. AstraZeneca’s earnings estimates for 2017 inched up 0.5% while that for 2018 moved up 3.3% in the last 60 days. Its earnings performance has also been pretty impressive, with consistent positive surprises. The average earnings beat for the last four quarters is 142.6%.
Bayer’s shares have moved up 20.9% so far this year. Its earnings estimates have improved 2.1% for both 2017 and 2018 over the last 60 days.
More Stock News: 8 Companies Verge on Apple-Like Run
Did you miss Apple's 9X stock explosion after they launched their iPhone in 2007? Now 2017 looks to be a pivotal year to get in on another emerging technology expected to rock the market. Demand could soar from almost nothing to $42 billion by 2025. Reports suggest it could save 10 million lives per decade which could in turn save $200 billion in U.S. healthcare costs.
A bonus Zacks Special Report names this breakthrough and the 8 best stocks to exploit it. Like Apple in 2007, these companies are already strong and coiling for potential mega-gains. Click to see them right now >>