Good morning, Armchair Army,
Welcome to today's edition of The Armchair Analyst, a 5-minute daily update on the ASX life-sciences sector.
I went to dinner last night with an old friend.
He's just starting to dip his toes into investing, and healthcare was his starting point.
Why?
He likes cool tech.
He told me about this Israeli technology called the PillCam.
Pill… what?
PillCam is a swallowable camera that travels through the digestive tract, taking pictures to help doctors detect abnormalities without invasive procedures.
I hadn’t heard of it before…
But when I looked it up, I found that the PillCam has been a “thing” for years.
An engineer at an Israeli defence research organisation first came up with the idea in 1991 after spending some time in Boston with a gastroenterologist.
Removed the camera from the endoscope.
Fit it with a wireless transmitter.
… and let it travel through the digestive system.
10 years later, the company had the first PillCam approved by the FDA.
Another 13 years later, in 2014, Medtronic acquired the company for US$860 million.
Today, the PillCam is used in 3.5 million procedures each year.
… just goes to show where I sit in the technology adoption curve.
Anyways…
When I got back from dinner, I opened my laptop with a mission.
Find cool science stuff.
So… what did I find?
In just the last two weeks…
A device that looks like a lollipop…
To check if kids are taking their medication.
(Source: ACS)
A robot the size of a pencil tip…
That delivers medicine directly to the heart.
(Source: Johns Hopkins University)
Smart rings… smart glasses… smart watches.
… that’s old tech.
But what about “smart socks”..?
With real-time fall detection software.
(Source: Tech Xplore)
Oh yeah, and there is a company that has a “mind-reading baseball cap”.
Just raised US$50 million this week…
(Source: Forbes)
But my favourite thing I read came from a tortoise named Jonathan.
Born in 1832, this tortoise is 194 years old.
Scientists analysed DNA from his cheek and may have found a clue to human longevity.
They found that the genetic switches controlling its cellular energy production (mitochondria) behave much like those of a much younger tortoise.
The theory?
Keeping these genetic switches functioning = Stay younger for longer.
Humans have an insatiable curiosity itch to scratch, which has led to many weird and wonderful innovations.
Some of these innovations become products.
Some of these products become “blockbusters”.
Some of these “blockbusters” change the world.
But all of them…
Started out the same way.
As an idea.
Just like PillCam.
Let's dive in…
The Pulse Check
Mayne Pharma Group Limited (ASX: MYX) has halted trading pending the Court of Appeal's decision in Cosette's legal case. (MYX)
🪑 🍿
ReNerve (ASX: RNV) receives feedback from the FDA pre-sub meeting on its NervAlign® Nerve Guide Matrix. (RNV)
🪑 Milestone ticked.
Biotron (ASX: BIT) appoints Glenn Gilbert as CEO and Executive Director, effective 18 January 2027. (BIT)
🪑 Good luck, Glenn!
I like this appointment, particularly Glenn’s experience at MVP navigating the regulatory challenges around Penthrox, which was previously an anesthetic.
Clever Culture Systems (ASX: CC5) appoints PSC Biotech as Sales Agent to expand its Automated Plate Assessment System into the US, Canada and Singapore. (CC5)
🪑 I like this deal.
Capital-light way to scale the sales force and pipeline.
REPORT: The ASX’s biotech stand-off: Inside Genetic Signatures and BCAL feud. (The Australian)
🪑 A few extra details on the BDX-GSS-MAP boardroom battle that weren’t yet known from this article.
FIRST, “a wealthy Melbourne family has taken a 4.8% stake in GSS, which is firmly in BDX’s camp”. This takes BDX’s “known” voting stake in GSS to ~22.5%
SECOND, it was suggested that if a merger with MAP occurs, Maria Halasz may be in line for the CEO role (with MAP CEO on medical leave).
THIRD, Regal & Phil King - shareholders of GSS - want better deal terms in any GSS-MAP merger. At least 9 cents per share. This is down from the 12 cents asking price for Regal’s votes reported in the AFR last month.
FOURTH, it was reported that GSS and MAP would look to sign a merger implementation agreement BEFORE the October 28th shareholder vote on GSS board members.
… so, some more good information.
Watch this space.
REPORT: Epic shifts focus to cybersecurity while AI, interoperability agenda still on track, company says. (FierceHealthcare)
🪑 I think “cybersecurity” may be a focus for some of these large healthcare software and patient-record businesses.
… particularly after last month's OpenAI Medicare AI hack.
REPORT: Ascensia leads US$36M funding round for glucose sensor startup. (MedTech Dive)
🪑 Dollars still pouring into health tracking.
See you all tomorrow,
The Armchair Analyst
