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Exploring Drug Modalities: Small Molecules, Biologics, RNA, Cell & Gene Therapy
Multiple different drug modalities are used as therapeutics for the treatment of different diseases or illnesses. In this post, we will look at the different therapeutic modalities that exist in the pharma/biotech world.
Drugs usually fall under 4 different types of modalities:
1) Small molecule
2) Biologics
3) Cell
Thank you for your support in 2022
Dear Readers,
We would like to thank everyone who has supported us in our journey in 2022. We started this newsletter in June 2022 and have seen steady growth in the past 6 months.
When we started 6 months back, we were unsure what the demand would be for life
Can Precision Fermentation together with Synthetic Biology Help to Secure Our Food Systems?
The recent geopolitical tensions and climate change have brought our food system under strain forcing governments to limit exports to protect their citizens. These issues have led to discussions around finding alternative protein sources and ensure food systems are inclusive, efficient and sustainable.
Globally, in 2020, humans consumed 574 million

Why Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: REGN) is a biotech force to be reckoned with
Regeneron was founded in 1988 by Dr. Leonard S Schleifer. Dr. Schelifer shared, that the name Regeneron came from “Regenerating neurons, with the word “gene” in the middle”. The origin of the name further explains that the initial focus of the company was neurobiology. Then in 1990 following the publication
5 Blockbuster Drugs Which Can Be Spun Out as a Company
Not all drugs are equal.
While most pharmaceutical companies talk about their pipeline programs. Some drugs alone could be pharmaceutical/biotech and still have a robust pipeline.
These drugs are usually targeting systemic pathways, enabling their use across multiple disease indications and in the process creating a pipeline for themselves.
Are RSV vaccines going to be the next blockbuster vaccine to be developed?
The below graph shows that the rate of RSV-associated hospitalizations has increased significantly after the COVID pandemic (2020-2021 season).
In the 2022-2023 season, the current estimate for RSV-associated hospitalization stood at 18 per 100k people in the US. However, this is just the start of the RSV season, and the
Investing Basics 101: 3 Essential Guidelines for Asset Allocation
Asset allocation is one of the first decisions to need to make when building a portfolio that suits your needs and goals; when you need the money essentially dictates where to invest it.
As such, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Asset allocation should depend on factors such as age, income,
Earnings Update for NVO, LLY & REGN
1. Novo Nordisk (NVO)
Novo reported a strong quarter as they continue to hold a dominant position in diabetes and obesity. Year to Date (9 months) results below:
* Revenue: $128.8B (DKK +16%, US +21%, International +11%)
* Op profit: $57.7B DKK +14%
* Net profit: $41.9B
* FCF: $62.5B

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ALNY) Stock Deep Dive
Founded in 2002, Alnylam has led the commercialization of RNAi. However, the company has faced multiple battles on its way here.
After the initial hype of RNA technologies faded in the 2010s, many RNAi companies faced a downturn as the industry quickly lost confidence in the ability to commercialize RNA-based
3 Top Biotech News Of The Week (22 Oct 2022) - Oculis, LLY, AKUS, JAZZ, ZYME
1) Another ophthalmology acquisition: Oculis. SA and European Biotech Acquisition Corp. announce business combination agreement
The resultant company, Oculis Holding SA will work to accelerate the development of Oculis’s differentiated ophthalmology pipeline therapeutics for diabetic macular edema, dry eye disease, and neuro-retina indications such as glaucoma.
Oculis’ pipeline includes
A look at Nimbus & Eli Lilly's AMPK Collaboration, Regeneron and Sanofi's Dupixent EOE approval and Merck's Sotatercept for PAH
1) Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) enters into collaboration with Nimbus to develop therapeutics for metabolic diseases
Eli Lilly and Nimbus enter into a collaboration to develop therapeutics for metabolic diseases.
The two companies will collaborate on the development of novel targeted therapies designed to activate a specific isoform of AMPK
3 Top Biotech News Of The Week (8 October 22) - BMS, AUTL, DNA, Svante Pääbo discovery
1) Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) enters into 2 licensing deals with SynethX and Autolus Therapeutics (AUTL)
Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMS) entered into 2 licensing deals with SynethX Inc and Autolus Therapeutics (NASDAQ: AUTL).
The first deal is with SynethX which will focus on discovering molecular glue degraders. Synethx has
A Biotech Growth Stock to Consider For Your Portfolio - Sarepta Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SRPT)
Sarepta Therapeutics (NASDAQ:SRPT) was founded by Marwan Fawaz in 1980 with the mission of developing precision genetic medicines for the treatment of rare neuromuscular diseases.
Fast forward to 2022 and Sarepta Therapeutics is a pioneer in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) therapy with three FDA-approved RNA therapies to treat this
3 Top Biotech News Of The Week (1 October 22)
1) Eisai and Biogen Report Positive Phase III Data for Anti-Amyloid Alzheimer's Drug
Eisai and Biogen announced that the duo’s Alzheimer's drug, Lecanemab, slowed the rate of cognitive decline for early Alzheimer’s participants in the phase 3 clinical trial by 27% compared to a placebo.
Lecanemab’s phase
Weekly Special - An Overview of RNA Technologies
RNA technologies made headlines in 2021 when the first mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine was approved in December 2020.
However, RNA therapy is not a new technology. RNA modalities have been under development for several decades and by Jan 2020, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved a total
3 Top Biotech News Of The Week (17 September 22) - Bioeconomy executive order, BioMarin, Danaher, Intellia
1. The US Govt just released the Executive Order for advancing biotechnology and biomanufacturing for a sustainable, safe, and secure bioeconomy.
There are 11 areas they will be looking to fund and develop within this niche. Here is a quick summary:
1. Coordinate investment in key R&D areas to
3 Top Biotech News Of The Week (10 September 22)
1. Iveric plans FDA submission of data for geographic atrophy eye-drug following study success
Iveric Bio announced positive phase 3 topline data from Zimura for geographical atrophy (GA). Zimura is a novel investigational complement C5 inhibitor.
Overactivity of the complement system and the C5 protein are suspected to play a
3 Top Biotech News Of The Week (3 September 22)
1. FDA clears updated COVID-19 boosters from Pfizer, Moderna
A long-awaited moment!
On Wednesday, FDA approved a new version of Pfizer’s vaccine for adults and children over 12 years old and Moderna’s modified shot for adults who are 18 or older.
Both vaccines are bivalent, meaning that they

Is Vertex Pharmaceuticals the next blue chip biotech?
History of Vertex
Vertex was founded in 1989 by Joshua Boger and Kevin J. Kinsella to "transform the way serious diseases are treated”.
The company's initial successes in anti-viral therapies (HIV and Hepatitis C) were short-lived due to stiff competition. This forced the company to pivot to survive, but like
3 Top Biotech News Of The Week (27 August 22)
1. Kymera raises $150 million through the sale of shares to fund development of its clinical and preclinical assets
Kymera which focuses on targeted protein degradation announced that it is raising $150 million to support its ongoing research and development programs and for general corporate purposes.
The biotech has three
3 Top Biotech News Of The Week (20 August 22)
1. Merck makes big R&D investment with $3.5B Orna deal
ORNA Therapeutics recently struck a deal with Merck to collaborate on the advancement of Orna’s Next Generation of RNA Technology.
What does ORNA Therapeutics do?
In the next revolution in RNA therapeutics, oRNA molecules are engineered as
3 Top Biotech News Of The Week (13 August 22)
1) Pfizer's acquisition of Global Blood Therapeutics
The acquisitions continue!
This week Pfizer reported that it will be acquiring Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT) for $5.4B.
The proposed acquisition is expected to drive growth by bringing GBT's sickle cell disease (SCD) expertise together with a robust pipeline into Pfizer’s
3 Top Biotech News Of The Week (6 August 22)
1) Beam served with clinical hold for Beam-201
$BEAM announced an FDA clinical hold on Beam-201, its multiplex silenced CD7 CAR-T asset. Beam-201 is an ex-vivo T-cell therapy being developed for relapsed/refractory T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma. $BEAM uses its base editing technology to prepare

3 Top Biotech News Of The Week (30 July 22)
On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 75 basis points, at the same time, however, stocks closed the week higher with S&P 500 posting the best month since 2020.
The biotech sector on the other hand had a relatively flat week, with the $XBI index rising only

A Deep Dive Into a Pioneer in CRISPR Gene Editing (CRISPR Therapeutics)
We examine CRISPR Therapeutics to understand what it is working on and if it has the potential to shape the future of healthcare.
This is a story of how humans can learn from nature.
In recent years several CRISPR-related companies have gone public. There has also been a plethora of
What You Need to Know About Growth Investing & Two Potential Metrics to Use
There are different investing styles that individuals can adopt, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. The most important thing for us to do is to pick an investing style that we feel most comfortable with. That’s how we can sleep soundly at night.
The different investing styles

8 Gene Editing/CRISPR Companies to Consider For Your Portfolio
Ten years ago, Jennifer Doudna and her colleagues published the results of a test-tube experiment on bacterial genes in the journal "Science". This paper was the beginning of an adventurous journey that led to the development of CRISPR technology.
In the past decade, CRISPR has become one of the most
Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) a healthcare juggernaut you cannot ignore
Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE: TMO) is a healthcare sector juggernaut that produces and supplies scientific instruments, reagents, consumables and offers contract services through its CDM and CRO businesses. With a galaxy of critical services and products, Thermo Fisher is a force to be reckoned with in healthcare.
Two key competitive

Trading vs Investing – What’s the difference?
If you are just starting and considering if you should invest or trade, you might be a bit confused about the difference.
Should we try to try to clear up the difference?
If you have heard from your friends or family that they are investing or trading, what does it

Head-to-head in the space of proteomics: Quantum Si (NASDAQ: QSI) vs Nautilus Biotechnology (NASDAQ: NAUT)
What is proteomics?
During the expression of a protein-coding gene, information flows from DNA → RNA →protein. This directional flow of information is known as the central dogma of molecular biology. (Learn more about DNA and RNA in our previous articles.)
Proteomics, in simple terms, is the study of proteins. This
Why Stock Prices Should Never Be the Determining Factor When Making an Investment Decision
I just finished reading a classic investment book "Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits", written by Philip Fisher, a man who had helped shape billionaire investor Warren Buffett’s investing philosophy. In Fisher’s book, there is a passage that lends weight to the idea that investors should not focus on
Synthetic Biology is poised to breath new life into fermentation
Fermentation has been around since the Neolithic age, long before people understood the science behind the process. Today, following the scientific discoveries of French microbiologist Louis Pasteur, who showed how living organisms initiate fermentation, we know why fermentation not only makes food like sourdough bread, kimchi and wine taste better

The rise of plant-based meat
Meat consumption in the United States has increased a staggering 184% between 1961 and 2018!! On an absolute basis, it is reported that the annual meat production increased by over 30 million tons during this time period.
The conflict in Ukraine has caused supply constraints in the corn (used as
A deep dive into the microbiome market landscape
Following on from our previous article, where we covered - what is the microbiome, how it is profiled, challenges and solutions faced and the different sub-segments of the microbiome - Gut Microbiome, Oral Microbiome, Skin Microbiome and Soil Microbiome.
In this article we will do a deep dive into the
Your complete guide to the microbiome: What is it, how is it profiled, what factors affect it and current challenges & potential solutions
What is the Microbiome?
A microbiome is a community of microbial organisms living in a given
environment. For example, the microbiome in the gut (Gut Microbiome), consists
of a community of microbes that play important roles in multiple biological
processes such as digestion, immunity, mental health, and other aspects of
What we were reading this week: How synthetic biology and biosensors can be exploited for water contaminant monitoring
The rapidly growing field of synthetic biology has the potential to transform
many aspects of society. This review paper looked at different synthetic biology
strategies that can be exploited for water monitoring, specifically focusing on
the use of biosensors for detection of contaminants in the water.
> As mentioned in the

2 companies innovating to overcome the short half-life of mRNA: is self-amplifying or endless RNA the future of mRNA vaccines?
Given the incredible growth in mRNA vaccines, it is no surprise that companies are trying to improve this technology.
mRNA technology came to the forefront in 2020 with the widespread use of mRNA vaccines for protection against the SARS-CoV2 virus. Just like any other technology, mRNA technology has its drawbacks.
Why keeping calm & not panic selling during a market downturn is the smarter choice
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine, disruption in the global supply chain, and
increasing inflation rate are just a few affairs enough to ignite a global
economic crisis. Since mid-Feb 2022, US stocks alone have lost around 25%. And
as we are writing this article, the market continued its downturn amidst

What we were reading this week: The search for new delivery vehicles for RNA/DNA therapeutics & vaccines heats up
Current offerings
This article covers the bottlenecks faced by mRNA vaccines such as supply chain
requirements and rapid degradation leading to limited-expression and efficacy.
This can be addressed efficiently by more stable DNA vaccines thus not requiring
cold chain handling and allowing for prolonged-expression which should improve
the efficacy and

Your guide to the current and future applications of DNA Sequencing
In continuation from the previous article that explained the basics of DNA, DNA sequencing, and discussed three different sequencing technologies on the market, you can read the article here. In this article, we will focus on some of the current and future applications for DNA sequencing.
Consumer applications
Sequencing has

Your guide to mRNA vaccines: What is RNA, mRNA and how mRNA vaccines work?
In this article, we will focus on the basics of RNA, mRNA, and how mRNA vaccines work. Let's begin, shall we?
What are RNA and mRNA?
DNA (You can refer to our previous article to understand DNA better) is the genetic material of most organisms on Earth. They are the

A quick overview of DNA and DNA sequencing - ILMN, PACB and ONT
In this article, we will focus on the basics of DNA and DNA sequencing by looking at the three different sequencing technologies on the market.
DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the instruction set for all living organisms. DNA is made up of building blocks called nucleotides. There are four of