HBM Healthcare with strong start to the quarter. Quarterly figures: HBM Healthcare with strong start to the quarter. The investment company confirmed earlier information that it generated a profit of 238 million Swiss francs in the first quarter. Published: 24.07.2026, 07:36 The portfolio of the investment company HBM Healthcare Investments got off to a strong start in the new fiscal year 2026/27 (as of June 30). The company benefited from a renewed M&A and IPO momentum in the biotechnology sector. On Friday, the company confirmed earlier information that it generated a profit of 238 million Swiss francs in the first quarter. In the previous year, the healthcare-focused HBM had reported a loss of 140 million, mainly due to currency effects. The net asset value (NAV) per share, adjusted for dividends, rose by 13%, and the share price increased by 8.9%, but continues to trade at a significant discount to the intrinsic value. The positive development was broad-based: both private and listed holdings made substantial contributions to the quarterly result. According to HBM, the listed holdings contributed the largest share at 183 million Swiss francs, while private companies contributed 105 million. New companies in the portfolio. In addition, HBM Healthcare Investments made new investments in two private companies during the reporting quarter: Lycia Therapeutics ($9 million) and CellCentric ($12.5 million). With these investments, the company is strategically strengthening its portfolio with innovative platform technologies and clinically advanced development programs. Regarding the further business development, HBM is confident. The market environment for the healthcare and biotechnology sector has further improved. HBM Healthcare Investments, with its balanced portfolio of listed and private companies, is promisingly positioned to benefit from this environment. FuW Insider Receive the best investment tips - curated by the FuW editorial team. More newsletters

Lycia raises USD 75m to advance novel extracellular protein degradation into early clinical trials. June 25, 2026 South San Francisco-based Lycia Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics designed to degrade disease-causing extracellular proteins, has closed an oversubscribed USD 75 million Series D financing round to advance its LYTAC pipeline toward early clinical proof of concept. The round signals continued investor confidence in lysosomal targeting as a strategy for depleting pathogenic extracellular proteins in autoimmune and allergic disease. The Series D was co-led by existing investor Janus Henderson Investors and new investor Balyasny Asset Management, with additional new participation from Adage Capital Management, HBM Healthcare Investments, and OrbiMed. Existing investors Eli Lilly and Company, Franklin Templeton, Invus, RTW Investments, and Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners also continued their support. The company said proceeds will fund clinical development of its two lead programs, LCA-0061 and LCA-0321, and advance its broader pipeline of cataLYTAC degraders toward the clinic. No prior funding history was disclosed in the announcement beyond the Series D designation. Lycia's proprietary LYTAC (Lysosomal Targeting Chimera) platform is designed to generate degraders that direct disease-causing extracellular proteins to the lysosome for elimination. The company's cataLYTAC format is engineered for catalytic, repeated elimination of target proteins - a distinction the company argues could support more durable target depletion than stoichiometric antibody-based approaches. The platform was established in collaboration with Carolyn Bertozzi, Nobel laureate and professor of chemistry and HHMI investigator at Stanford University. The company's lead asset, LCA-0061, is a cataLYTAC degrader targeting immunoglobulin E (IgE) for food allergy and other allergic diseases. Elevated IgE is a central driver of allergic responses, and its depletion represents a mechanistically distinct approach from existing anti-IgE antibodies such as omalizumab, which neutralize circulating IgE without catalytic recycling. The second program, LCA-0321, is a LYTAC degrader designed to selectively deplete thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor autoantibodies (TRAbs), the pathogenic immunoglobulins responsible for Graves' disease. Both programs are described as advancing toward Phase I clinical proof-of-concept following promising preclinical data. The near-term priority for Lycia is generating first-in-human data for both lead programs. The company has stated its goal is to demonstrate Phase I clinical proof of concept in patients, which would represent the first clinical validation of the cataLYTAC modality. The financing and leadership additions - particularly the appointment of a CFO with public market experience - position the company for potential future capital events as clinical data emerge. This article was generated with AI assistance and reviewed and edited by the AllSci editorial team Explore more at AllSci News: https://allsci.com/news/