Industry Overview - The drug and biotech sector experienced a volatile performance in 2025, with a significant recovery in the last few months attributed to improved drug pricing policies and strong merger and acquisition activity [2] - The biotech sector has rallied 26% over the past six months, outperforming the S&P 500 index [2] Innovation and Regulatory Activity - Key growth areas in the industry include obesity, gene therapy, inflammation, and neuroscience, attracting investor interest [3] - The FDA approved 44 novel therapies as of December 22, 2025, indicating healthy regulatory activity [3] Company Highlights Mineralys Therapeutics - Mineralys is developing lorundrostat, an aldosterone synthase inhibitor for uncontrolled hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and obstructive sleep apnea [5] - The pivotal phase III Launch-HTN study and phase II Advance-HTN study met primary efficacy endpoints, showing favorable safety [6] - The company plans to submit a new drug application for lorundrostat in early 2026, with shares up 203.4% year-to-date [8][9] Lyell Immunopharma - Lyell focuses on next-generation CAR T-cell therapies, with its lead candidate ronde-cel for large B-cell lymphoma [11] - A pivotal phase III study for ronde-cel is expected to begin in early 2026, and the company has a strong cash position of approximately $320 million [14] - Shares have increased by 191.6% in 2025, with loss per share estimates narrowing from $12.68 to $9.70 [15] Insmed - Insmed markets Arikayce for refractory MAC lung disease, generating $314.5 million in sales in the first nine months of 2025, a 21% increase year-over-year [16] - The FDA approved Brinsupri for non-CF bronchiectasis, with sales of $28.1 million in Q3 2025 [17] - Despite a setback with the BiRCh study, the company is evaluating Brinsupri for hidradenitis suppurativa, with shares up 156% year-to-date [19][20] Nektar Therapeutics - Nektar is developing rezpegaldesleukin for atopic dermatitis and alopecia areata, with positive data from phase IIb studies [21][22] - The company plans to advance rezpeg into phase III development in 2026, with shares soaring 218.8% year-to-date [24][25]

Key Takeaways Five biotech stocks are highlighted for 2026 due to late-stage trials or upcoming FDA decisions.MindMed expects multiple phase III data readouts in 2026 for its lead program MM120.Ocugen, Kyverna and Celcuity face key inflection points tied to BLAs or pivotal clinical data.After a weak first half, the drug and biotech sector has recovered in the past 2-3 months with large drugmakers like Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk signing drug pricing agreements with the Trump administrati ...

Core Insights - Amgen's stock has increased nearly 16% in one month due to strong Q3 2025 results, with both revenue and earnings surpassing expectations, and the company has raised its sales guidance for the year [1][10] - The drug and biotech sector has shown recovery, with major companies like Pfizer and AstraZeneca entering pricing agreements with the Trump administration, which may lead to a sustainable sector recovery [2][3] Financial Performance - Amgen's revenues grew by 10.5% in the first nine months of 2025, driven by strong demand for its innovative medicines [4] - Key drugs such as Repatha, Evenity, and new products like Tavneos and Tezspire are significantly contributing to revenue growth, alongside biosimilars [5][7] - Biosimilars generated approximately $2.2 billion in sales in the first nine months of 2025, with annualized sales expected to reach around $3 billion [17] Product Pipeline - Amgen is focusing on expanding the indications for several key drugs, which could further enhance revenue growth [6][7] - The company is developing MariTide, an obesity treatment, which has shown promising results in clinical studies and is expected to differentiate itself from competitors [8][9][11] - Ongoing phase III studies for MariTide and other candidates could provide important catalysts for future growth [12][14] Market Position and Valuation - Amgen's stock has outperformed the industry and S&P 500, with a year-to-date increase of 32.5% compared to 17.7% for the industry [22] - The stock is currently trading at a price/earnings ratio of 15.97, which is lower than the industry average of 17.26, indicating reasonable valuation [25] - Consensus estimates for earnings have been revised upward for 2025 and 2026, reflecting positive market sentiment [28][30] Challenges and Competitive Landscape - The expiration of patents for key drugs like Prolia and Xgeva is expected to lead to revenue erosion due to the introduction of biosimilars [19] - Pricing pressures from Medicare Part D redesign and the Inflation Reduction Act may adversely impact sales of certain drugs [20]