Thinking of taking your company public? Get our essential guide to a successful IPO. Download Now

Westicke Partners

Close

ICR Westwicke Blog

The ICR Westwicke Blog is designed to deliver information and insights into the ever-changing world of healthcare communications.

Is 2024 the Year for the Life Science IPO Market?

Posted on February 27th, 2024. Posted by

Woman,Laborant,Working,With,Microscope,Holding,Automatic,Pipette

Since November 2023, the IPO market for companies has shown some signs of life – dare we say, “green shoots.”  Over the most recent 15-week period, 10 firms transition to their new chapters as publicly listed companies. In 8 of the 10 cases, the stock price has risen above the new issue price, with notable increases from Cargo Therapeutics (“CRGX”) +55.0%; Arrivent Biopharma (“AVBP”) + 28.9%; and CG Oncology (“CGON”) + 129.5% (as of EOD, February 23). Continue Reading

Medical Technology in 2024 – Thoughts and Predictions for the Year Ahead

Posted on January 22nd, 2024. Posted by

Medical technology instrument used in hospital

With the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference behind us, now is the ideal time to opine on what the future holds for the MedTech sub-sector in 2024.

See below for several thoughts and key takeaways on the general sentiment and outlook for MedTech this year. This is my personal view, which has been informed in part by a review of outlook-focused, long-form research from nearly two dozen MedTech sell-side analysts, discussions with many of the top institutional investors in healthcare, and (seemingly countless) meetings with investors, analysts, bankers and clients during the week of the J.P. Morgan Conference. Continue Reading

AI in Healthcare: Gaining Momentum in 2024

Posted on January 15th, 2024. Posted by

medical records being viewed on a tablet

Artificial Intelligence (AI), instrumental in many healthcare trends of 2023, promises to dramatically gain momentum in 2024, with increased use of transformative technologies that have applications across the healthcare industry, from the way pharmaceuticals are developed and patients are treated to the commercial side of the business.

AI is already used in healthcare for end-to-end drug development, helping to diagnose patients, improving physician-to-patient communication, transcribing and organizing medical files and images, and treating patients remotely. Continue Reading

Going Public: Tell a Better Transaction Story

Posted on December 7th, 2023. Posted by

When entering the public markets, successfully announcing your milestone hinges on preparation and telling the right story at the right time. Learn how.

Continue Reading

10 Ways to Prep for the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference

Posted on November 16th, 2023. Posted by

Each year, the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference provides a critical opportunity to meet with analysts, investors, and other leaders in the healthcare industry. However, making the most of the conference takes preparation.

Continue Reading

The JPM Healthcare Media Maze: Crafting a Winning Approach

Posted on November 14th, 2023. Posted by

Pipette adding fluid to one of several test tubes

In less than two months, seasoned investors, influential media, game changing startups and established industry giants will convene at the 42nd Annual JP Morgan Healthcare Conference. Continue Reading

Top 10 Investor Relations Best Practices

Posted on September 29th, 2023. Posted by

Investor Relations

Properly positioning your story within the investment community can help you build a quality, long-term shareholder base and enhance equity market value. To develop an effective investor relations strategy, you must understand how to best interact with investors, stay visible, and adapt to deliver both good news and bad.

Continue Reading

Maintaining a “Future IPO” Mindset in Health and Life Sciences

Posted on July 31st, 2023. Posted by

Mature financial analyst telling company development strategy on presentation using computer technology

In 2019, I wrote a piece on Why You Need an IPO Communications Strategy Well Before the IPO.  That was before a pandemic, during which time the healthcare industry experienced a breakthrough year of SPACs and IPOs, only to be followed by an austere 18+ months of market uncertainty.  Add rising interest rates and a tough fundraising environment, and going public is now often a conversation that stays on the shelf.  But the outlook may be looking brighter and the life sciences industry is showing a heartbeat.

Continue Reading

Why Some Companies Don’t Provide Guidance — and Why You Should

Posted on June 26th, 2023. Posted by

Guidance_Westwicke-Partners

Some management teams assume — incorrectly — that they can play it safe by withholding financial guidance, believing they can’t miss estimates they don’t provide. To the contrary, companies may inadvertently limit their Street credibility by opting out of earnings forecasts and, at the same time, miss an opportunity to manage investor expectations.

Investors judge financial results against analysts’ consensus estimates even if a company doesn’t provide projection, so it makes sense for leadership to set expectations themselves and provide some guardrails. Perhaps more importantly, formal earnings guidance signals management’s confidence in the company’s growth and stability.

Continue Reading

Don’t Be Caught Unprepared: How to Develop a Crisis Communications Plan

Posted on June 20th, 2023. Posted by

Planning, serious and crisis with business people in meeting for idea, documents and negotiation. Collaboration, data and leadership with employees in office for project management and brainstorming

Any company, no matter how diligent, can find itself suddenly thrust into a crisis due to internal or external factors. Incidents ranging from a product safety recall to a downturn in industry funding or worldwide health emergency have the potential to disrupt operations or threaten a company’s reputation. Stakeholders, whether customers, shareholders, partners or employees, will want to know immediately what happened and how it affects them. In today’s age of social media and instantaneous digital communication, companies need to be prepared to address a crisis immediately before someone else defines what it means for their stakeholders.

Continue Reading

1 2 3 30

Have News to Release?

Find out whether you should file a Form 8-K, issue a press release, or do both by using our easy-to-reference chart, “Form 8K vs. Press Release: What’s the Difference?

Our Locations