Life Sciences IPOs have biggest month - May - in 13 years, reports Burrill

A total of eight life sciences companies went public on US exchanges in May, the busiest month for initial public offerings in the sector since August 2000 when 16 issues debuted, global life sciences financial services firm Burrill & Co reported.

The eight life sciences IPOs in May equaled all the number of IPOs completed during the preceding four months of 2013. At the same time, the queue of life sciences companies filing to go public continues to grow, with seven additional life sciences companies publicly filing registration statements with the US Securities and Exchange Commission during the month, bringing the total number of companies in registration to 18.

The activity reflects an effort by companies to capitalize on the increasingly receptive public market for biotech new issues. It suggests that eased regulatory requirements, the ability to file confidentially, and the ability to test the waters with investors through provisions of the JOBS Act, are making going public more attractive to emerging growth life sciences companies.