ICR Westwicke is the largest healthcare focused investor relations firm in the country. We provide customized investor relations programs and independent capital markets advice to small and mid-cap healthcare companies.
Special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) activity has exploded in the past two years, from 59 transactions in 2019, to 248 deals in 2020, to 308 SPACs so far in 2021. However, SPACs are not new. This type of transaction has been around for decades, continually evolving as it rises and falls in popularity.
Unlike quiet periods following an IPO, which are closely regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), end-of-quarter quiet periods are more loosely defined and not strictly regulated.
One of our clients, a recently public diagnostics company, settled an ongoing royalty dispute with a major pharmaceutical company. The settlement amount was significantly lower than what our client had accrued, resulting in nearly $750 thousand upside to their P&L in the upcoming quarter.
No one would argue that 2020 was unique and challenging for almost every industry, including healthcare. The year forced both public and private companies to reconsider many aspects of how they do business and communicate with the investment community. As we all adapted and learned, our Westwicke blog covered a variety of investor relations topics, both pandemic related and not. Below are some of the most popular blog posts we published this year.
The 2021 Westwicke / ICR Conference went virtual this year — and like many in-person events suddenly turned remote, attendees found new and unexpected opportunities for connecting with each other. Namely, the ability, finally, to be in two meetings at once.
No one could have predicted the events of 2020. However, given the strength and evolution of the healthcare and biotech industry over the past 12 months, the team at Westwicke has some ideas about how the upcoming year may unfold. Below, we provide insight into what the new year may bring.
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the IPO market may never look the same. The swift shift to virtual roadshows, for example, has demonstrated efficiencies that are likely to make digital alternatives stick even after regular business travel resumes. But beyond the operational changes behind preparing a company to go public, the market has seen growing interest in alternatives to the IPO itself.
As life science and medical device companies seek regulatory approval for their products, they will likely encounter difficult disclosure decisions around clinical and regulatory events. Clinical trial data and milestones can present great opportunities as well as significant challenges.
Over the past several months, interest in special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) has grown exponentially. SPAC transactions serve as an alternative to traditional IPOs, and while they have existed for many years, they are currently experiencing a resurgence within several industries.
According to some experts, the past several months have created more change in the IPO market than the last 25 to 30 years. In the recent webinar hosted by ICR Capital and Davis Polk, those experts discussed what they’ve seen in the IPO market recently, changes to standard IPO processes, and what’s to come for IPOs during the remainder of the year.
