Biotech stocks are surging. How investors can play the new drug innovation boom — SkimNews
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- Moderna surged 587% year-to-date through October 23 despite an 18% dip after clinical data leaked, as its mRNA cancer vaccine with Merck showed a 42% reduction in recurrence or death in melanoma patients.
- Illumina more than doubled in 2025 on rising demand for its NovaSeq X sequencing platform, with pharmaceutical partners like Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb using it for precision oncology solutions.
- Twist Bioscience partnered with Anthropic in August to test its AI model Claude for protein development, while analysts project revenue to grow from $572 million in 2027 to $833 million in 2029.
- Eli Lilly advanced its obesity drug retatrutide, a triple agonist that achieved 28%-30% weight loss in trials, with FDA approval expected in Q1 2027 and $25 billion in 2026 acquisitions fueled by GLP-1 revenues.
- Kymera Therapeutics is developing an oral alternative to Dupixent, aiming to capture market share and expand access to immunological disease treatments, with the drug considered distinct enough to avoid patent conflict.
- 10x Genomics rose over 300% in 2025 as its Atera platform generated data for training AI models in personalized therapies, earning it a 'primary infrastructure play' designation from Piper Sandler.
Why it matters: The biotech sector’s 24% ETF gain and wave of clinical wins signal a shift from post-pandemic stagnation to innovation-driven growth, with AI and mRNA technologies accelerating drug development timelines and creating new profit pathways for infrastructure and drug developers alike.
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