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BioPharma Credit (BPCR) has recently made good progress in deploying its cash balance due to drawdowns of second tranches of senior secured loans provided to Sarepta Therapeutics and Global Blood Therapeutics and funding of an additional tranche to Epizyme. Meanwhile, the trust has delivered a solid three-year NAV total return (TR) to end-October 2020 of c 8% per year and its targeted dividend is c0overed in the near term.
Biopharma Credit
We have knitted together the impact on the investment companies from what is now widely considered to be the most severe pandemic in a century. The collapse in asset prices over the latter part of March, brought the curtain down on an up-market that lasted more than ten years. In amongst this, there were pockets, such as the technology sector, that held up well. For many industries, the worst is still to come, as we brace ourselves for the sharpest contraction to global growth since the US great depression.
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BioPharma Credit (BPCR) has entered into a definitive agreement to provide US$165m in a single-tranche senior secured loan to Collegium Pharmaceutical, a Nasdaq-listed biopharmaceutical company, which currently markets an abuse-deterrent formulation of oxycodone (opioid) under the Xtampza brand, as well as Nucynta, a centrally acting synthetic analgesic. Collegium reported US$223m in total sales for these two drugs in 9M19. The investment is made alongside BioPharma-V, which provides an additional US$35m, implying BPCR’s share of the deal is 83%.
BioPharma Credit (BPCR) offers investors access to a diverse portfolio of secured debt instruments for life science companies. During 2019, BPCR was able to deploy more than US$500m and was thus able to reduce the large cash position accumulated as a result of the share issue in late 2018 and prepayment of the Tesaro note in January 2019. New investments include the largest deal so far with Sarepta Therapeutics, where BPCR provided funding of up to US$350m (of which half was initially drawn). We estimate that BPCR’s current loan portfolio has an attractive average coupon rate of c 9% (of which c 50% is at a fixed rate). On drawdown of outstanding commitments, arrangement fees and additional coupons will provide full cover of the annual dividend.
BioPharma Credit (BPCR) has announced it has entered (alongside the BioPharma V fund) two five-year senior secured loan agreements with a total commitment of US$85m over the next 12 months (of which US$52.5m will be drawn initially). The terms of both loans are broadly in line with previous deals with a high single-digit floating interest rate, a 2% upfront fee and certain make-whole/prepayment fees. We estimate that BPCR still has at least US$344m in uncommitted cash (after excluding the recently declared dividend of US$0.0175 per share), which it aims to deploy before the end of the year.
BioPharma Credit (BPCR) has recently entered into an agreement to provide up to US$82.5m in the form of a five-year senior secured loan to OptiNose, a Nasdaq-listed, commercial-stage pharma company with its flagship product XHANCE, an FDA-approved nasal spray for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. The therapy uses the inhaled corticosteroid fluticasone propionate coupled with OptiNose’s proprietary Exhalation Delivery System (EDS) designed to reach deep into the nasal passages. We estimate that BPCR still has c US$400m in uncommitted cash available for further deals. We also acknowledge the recent settlement of the dispute between Lexicon (one of BPCR’s borrowers) and Sanofi, which will result in a US$260m cash inflow for Lexicon.
BioPharma Credit (BPCR) recently announced that it has entered into an agreement to provide a US$80m senior secured loan to BioDelivery Sciences International (BDSI), a Nasdaq-listed commercial-stage pharma company. BDSI’s main assets include Belbuca, an FDA-approved partial opioid agonist classified as a Schedule III drug, as well as Symproic, an FDA-approved drug for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation (OIC). This agreement represents BPCR’s first investment this year. Moreover, it invested US$25m in BDSI’s recent share issue, which constitutes BPCR’s first equity investment since inception. We estimate that BPCR still has around US$500m in uncommitted cash available for further deals.
Biopharma Credit – New investment
BioPharma Credit - TESARO statement | Merian Chrysalis - Portfolio update | HgCapital Trust - Partial realisation of Visma
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Augmentum Fintech – Zopa banking licence | NB Global Floating Rate Income – EGM on share buyback author | BioPharma Credit – Statement on TESARO
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BioPharma Credit (BPCR) provides access to a diverse portfolio of debt instruments for life science companies, consisting mainly of senior secured loans at present. Structural changes in the industry and high M&A activity constitute positive drivers of BPCR’s new debt investments. Despite increased life sciences equity and convertible bonds issues, the trust has invested c US$640m so far this year (and has outstanding commitments of US$140.5–160.5m). The trust has recently completed a private placement, with US$305m of final gross proceeds (after being upsized to US$200m from US$150m). Post the Amicus Therapeutics deal and advancing the second tranche of the Tesaro loan, BPCR visibly increased its exposure to floating-rate loans to c 62%.
BPCR - BioPharma Credit – Results of fundraising | CSH - Civitas Social Housing – Q3 2018 NAV and update
Biopharma Credit Civitas Social Housing Plc
Blackstone / GSO Loan Financing (BGLF*) – September 2018 NAV | Carador Income (CIFU*) – September 2018 NAV | BPCR - BioPharma Credit – Proposed fundraising | Phaunos Timber – Offer wholly unconditional
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HMSF* – Highbridge Multi-Strategy – Interims to 30 June 2018 | BSIF - Bluefield Solar Income – Finals to 30 June 2018 | BPCR - BioPharma Credit – Interims to 30 June 2018 | ASLI - Aberdeen Standard Euro Logistics Income – Interims to 30 June
BPCR HTCF BSIF
BioPharma Credit (BPCR) offers investors access to a diverse portfolio of secured debt instruments for life science companies based on BPCR’s pool of investment opportunities. The ongoing specialisation and fragmentation of the drug discovery process is translating into an increased number of market players seeking additional funding backed by sales from approved products and/or royalty streams from out-licensed products. During its IPO in March 2017 and follow-on placings, the trust has so far raised gross proceeds of US$1,080m (of which US$339m is in seed assets) and already deployed US$690m in four large deals. It also has outstanding potential commitments of up to US$350m.
