COPENHAGEN - Zealand Pharma A/S (NASDAQ:ZEAL), a Danish biotechnology firm, announced the initiation of a private placement offering aimed at raising approximately $900 million through the sale of new shares. The offering, which commenced on Monday, is directed at institutional and professional investors and will be conducted through an accelerated bookbuilding process.
The company disclosed that the net proceeds from the offering will be utilized to advance its proprietary obesity programs, including Phase 2b clinical trials and related CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls) activities. Moreover, funds are earmarked to support early-stage research and general corporate purposes.
Zealand Pharma anticipates that the new funding will enable significant advancements in its clinical pipeline and the achievement of key milestones. The company is focusing resources on research and development and is exploring strategic partnerships for commercialization and co-development.
The offering will be made at market price, and the subscription price and the final number of new shares will be determined following the bookbuilding process. Zealand's existing shareholders will not have pre-emption rights in this offering, which is not underwritten. The outcome of the offering, including the offer price and the number of new shares, will be announced following the bookbuilding process's closure.
In connection with the offering, Zealand Pharma has entered into a lock-up agreement for 180 days, with certain customary exceptions. Executive management and board members have also agreed to a 90-day lock-up period, subject to customary exemptions.
Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) International, Jefferies GmbH, Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS), Nordea Danmark, and Van Lanschot Kempen N.V. are serving as joint global coordinators and joint bookrunners, with Plesner and DLA Piper LLP (US) providing legal advice to Zealand for the offering. Legal advice to the managers is being provided by Kromann Reumert.
The new shares are expected to be admitted to trading and official listing on Nasdaq Copenhagen A/S under the existing shares' ISIN code, following their issuance, expectedly on June 28, 2024.
This announcement, based on a press release statement, serves to inform potential investors and the market about Zealand Pharma's significant financial move and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States or other excluded territories.
In other recent news, Zealand Pharma has made significant strides in the healthcare sector with promising results from various trials and positive analyst ratings. The company's licensing partner, Boehringer Ingelheim, is set to present positive results from a Phase 2 trial of survodutide, a treatment for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The trial demonstrated the efficacy of survodutide in improving liver health, with significant reduction in liver fibrosis noted.
Zealand Pharma also received a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency for its dasiglucagon solution, a treatment for severe hypoglycemia in diabetes patients. This development paves the way for potential marketing authorization in the European Union market.
In addition to these developments, Zealand Pharma reported topline results from its DREAM trial, evaluating the effects of its investigational drug dapiglutide in individuals with obesity. The study showed an average weight loss of up to 4.3% with low doses of the drug.
Furthermore, Zealand Pharma received an Overweight rating from Cantor Fitzgerald and a Buy rating from BTIG, reflecting optimism about the company's potential in the obesity treatment market. Both firms anticipate further growth driven by forthcoming clinical data.
Lastly, Zealand Pharma is working on two near-commercial rare disease therapies which are expected to potentially reach $1.9 billion in combined peak sales. The company's partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim on a GLP-1/GCG agonist is seen as a strong player in the obesity market.
InvestingPro Insights
In light of Zealand Pharma's recent announcement of a private placement offering, key financial metrics from InvestingPro provide a snapshot of the company's market performance and valuation. Zealand Pharma's market capitalization stands at $7.91 billion, reflecting the market's current valuation of the company.
Despite a challenging P/E ratio of -70.48, which indicates investors are paying a premium for earnings that are not currently realized, the company's stock has experienced substantial price appreciation. Over the past year, Zealand Pharma's shares have seen a 200.15% return, nearly reaching their 52-week high at 98.36% of that peak price.
The company's revenue growth is notably robust, with a 222.76% increase over the last twelve months as of Q1 2024, and a more modest quarterly growth of 10.72% in Q1 2024. This growth narrative aligns with the company's strategic focus on advancing its clinical pipeline and may be a factor for potential investors to consider when evaluating the offering.
While the negative gross profit margin of -101.22% raises questions about current profitability, the aggressive revenue growth may suggest a strategic investment in the company's future capabilities, particularly in its proprietary obesity programs.
To gain deeper insights into Zealand Pharma's financial health and potential investment opportunities, investors can explore additional metrics and "InvestingPro Tips" available on InvestingPro. There are currently 15 additional tips listed, which offer a more comprehensive analysis of the company's financial outlook. For those interested in accessing these valuable insights, use the coupon code PRONEWS24 to get an additional 10% off a yearly or biyearly Pro and Pro+ subscription.
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