====Audentes Therapeutics (BOLD) to be acquired by Astellas (ALPMY) for $60/share

Audentes Therapeutics:  Japan's Astellas (OTC:ALPMY) to acquire Audentes Therapeutics for $60/share in cash

The cos entered into a definitive agreement for Astellas to acquire Audentes at a price of US$60.00 per share in cash, representing a total equity value of approximately US$3 billion. 

The offer price represents a premium of 110% to Audentes' closing share price of US$28.61 on December 2, 2019. The acquisition of Audentes represents a key step in the expansion of the Astellas Focus Area approach, under which Astellas strives to create innovative medicines for diseases with high unmet medical needs by identifying unique combinations of biology and therapeutic modality/technology based on emerging science.

The board of directors of Audentes has resolved to recommend that Audentes stockholders tender their shares to Astellas.

Consummation of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including US antitrust clearance and the tender of a majority of Audentes' outstanding shares of common stock. The offer price represents a premium of 110% to Audentes' closing share price of US$28.61 on December 2, 2019. The all-cash transaction is valued at approximately US$3 billion including the purchase of all common shares, options, restricted stock units and other securities. The Tender Offer period is expected to commence in the next few weeks and to expire 20 business days after its commencement, unless otherwise extended. If the Tender Offer conditions are not satisfied, Astellas may be required to extend the Tender Offer under certain circumstances.

The deal comes in the wake of similar deals in the gene therapy space:

• In 2018, Novartis (NVS) paid $8.7 bln for AveXis (AVXS).
• In February, Roche (RHHBY) agreed to pay $4.8 bln to acquire Spark Therapeutics (ONCE). This deal has yet to close due to ongoing regulatory concerns. 
• In March, Biogen (BIIB) paid $800 mln to acquire Nightstar Therapeutics (NITE).

Gene Therapy peers also advancing:  QURE +15.01%, SGMO +8.51%, VYGR +5.68%, AXGT +4.91%, RGNX +4.47%, FIXX +3.85%, SLDB +3.70%, AVRO +3.38%, ADVM +2.49%, BMRN +2.30%, RARE +2.20%, SRPT +2.04%, etc...

uniQure (QURE +15%) is seeing the largest move in the space in pre-market following two positive morning analysts initiations. uniQure was also linked to M&A reports earlier this year.

-=Audentes Therapeutics (BOLD) reported earnings on Wed 9 May 2018 (a/h)

Audentes Therapeutics beats by $0.07 

• Reports Q1 (Mar) loss of $0.74 per share, $0.07 better than the Capital IQ Consensus of ($0.81).
• Plan to report additional interim data during an oral presentation at ASGCT on May 16, 2018. Presentation to include up to 24-week data for the first four subjects enrolled and up to 4-week data in the cohort 1 expansion patients.

Earnings this week : May 7 - 11, 18 (wk 19)

81% of the S&P 500 has reported first quarter results. Q1 earnings are now expected to be up 24.3%. Earnings are expected to grow 18.8% in Q2 and 19.5% for the year. Next week is still quite busy on the earnings front as more small and mid caps report quarterly results.

Monday (May 7)

• Pre-Market: CTSH SYY SRE TSN WLTW LPX KOS VGR TSEM WBT GCI SSP GPRE PETS MYE SPNS NCMI TLRA TA
• After-Hours: NTR ANDV IAG IFF MOS ZG ANDX TRMB BKI AIV BHF OHI DCP EVHC DK APLE JCOM EQC SHO SWX OAS AMC  CBT RBC TREX ORA NVRO NGHC RARE SJI AMED AWR MYGN CENT HTZ PINC OTTR PAHC KAMN CRZO RMBS DPLO SNHY MWA LBRT BKD FN ATSG TRTX RWT SYKE EVBG GBDC RYAM PLOW LMNX ANDE MTSC CARB MTW VECO REN FRPT TCMD IVC LCI FRGI DHT EVRI NLS WMC WAAS STRL PI EGAN

Tuesday (May 8)

• Pre-Market: CRSP JD MCHP DISH DISCA MLM BR HSIC IT EXPD ATHM PRGO ARMK AES JEC JLL USFD VRX EGN ACM HAE VSM LOXO SUM JELD MFA HAIN NHI VG BLD VSH  ZBRA  AQUA TGNA NOVT ICPT GCP LXP NWN FI LGIH SGMO RGEN MNTA DNR ETM SEAS HUD STFC PRIM FSS ENDP BMCH WLH CROX MNK TGH GTN CWH DEA EPZM CORE ATKR DF ANIP DQ GTS COHU VRTV TTI SD DSKE CRCM MGI FRTA ONDK TAST VPG KEYW 

• After-Hours: DIS OXY MAR EA MNST PAA O CA FANG MTCH GDDY XEC JAZZ WR TRQ BIO KAR MIDD DEI WTR TRIP PEN TWLO NEWR WEN GWPH PAGP ETSY PLNT

Wednesday (May 9)

• Pre-Market: WB MYL AEE COTY STE SINA ADT EPAM JHG CNK HPT DLPH SYNH CNDT WIX CABO PFGC SBGI WRD GRPN HZNP MDP CARS PNK USAC
• After-Hours: FOXA DXC CTRP ETP CTL ETE FNV IAC ALB ANGI RNG ICUI CPA NUAN GDOT ROKU HLI FNGN DAR ENV PBYI SEDG BKNG   SEP FTI MELI ZTO ATUS IAC ALB OTEX BGNE ANGI RNG ICUI CPA NUAN DNB FGEN EEP SNH RLJ  PAAS HLI FNGN PTLA DAR WRD ENV  PSEC BLDR WMGI SAIL SUN TROX AYX FG INFN PRAA SYNA AG PTCT TWNK NP ZGNX BOLD EVH GKOS FSM SCOR TPC RUN PRSC ELF AMPH MBI COLL CVNA CHEF TCX UPLD NVGS NVAX TTGT NNBR MTRX SIEN MDCA BREW NVTA QHC FTK MRAM (finviz-change)

Thursday (May 10)

• Pre-Market: AZUL TU DUK BAM WP NICE ICL YY UBNT CRL SATS MIXT CHH MMS UNVR GDS DKS CLNS AMCX TRCO PQG BIG PEGI KLIC PBH HL BITA SPH AMRX UNVR  LHO  TRCO  NOMD ACIW BTG MDP BPMP PQG DDS DESP PEGI KLIC HL RDUS SPH TGI HIMX KELY.A WRLD OMI EGRX KND SNR DSX DEPO ECOM BIOS SND MGA TSG ENB   (finviz-change)
• After-Hours: NVDA SYMC NKTR WPM DOX NWSA FLS PPC PEGA AL HUBS YELP XON ANAB  HRTX TTD RDFN GLOB WTTR TIVO SSRM TLND  RBA UNIT JAG HALO XON CASA WTTR GLOB TIVO KLIC PSDO KTOS ARCB OMER FATE VRAY CSLT CIVI PFLT UEPS MCFT SENS SGYP DCO IMMR NDLS AMBR FNKO AVID ASYS

Friday (May 11)

• Pre-Market: TRI, WPRT, WOW

Audentes Therapeutics (BOLD) reported earnings on Thur 8 March 18 (a/h)

** charts before earnings **

 

** charts after earnings **

 

Audentes Therapeutics reports Q4 results, provides clinical update 

• Reports Q4 (Dec) loss of $0.82 per share, $0.09 better than the Capital IQ Consensus of ($0.91). Co has no revenue.
• "Among our many accomplishments, we are particularly pleased to have recently reported positive interim data from the first dose cohort of patients in ASPIRO, the Phase 1/2 clinical study of our product candidate AT132 to treat XLMTM. These promising initial data add to the growing body of evidence of the utility of AAV-based gene therapy to treat rare neuromuscular diseases, and we are optimistic that they signal a turning point in our ability to bring meaningful benefit to patients and families living with XLMTM."
• "As we look forward to the year ahead, we are excited by our many anticipated upcoming pipeline catalysts, including sharing additional data from our ASPIRO study in XLMTM, new data from our VALENS study in Crigler-Najjar, and advancing additional product candidates into the clinic for Pompe disease and CASQ2-CPVT. With our recently completed follow-on offering, we are well capitalized to continue our mission to develop transformative gene therapy products for patients living with serious, life-threatening rare diseases."