US Capital Markets Will Continue to Lure European Biotech

US capital markets will continue to lure European biotechs, according to BioPharm Insight. In 2012, only ten biotechs listed on the NASDAQ, but in 2013 there were 41, rising again to 73 in 2014 (Mergermarket ECM data).

However, the US IPO surge "has not been even closely mirrored in Europe", says the BioPharm Insight report. In Europe, domestic exchange listings continue to propose lower investor appreciation, valuations and liquidity compared to the NASDAQ. In 2014, 25% of European biotech IPOs took place in the US; so far, this has increased in 2015 to 50% (6 out of 12). 

US investors are better equipped to understand the investment value, Asaf Homossany, managing director, EMEA at NASDAQ, told the publication. There are also more specialist healthcare analysts in the US whose sole responsibility is to cover the healthcare sector, in contrast to Europe's generalist approach, he added.