Recent therapeutics IPOs outperform, but life sciences offerings a mixed bag, says Burrill

Therapeutics companies that have gone public since 2011 are up 27.1 percent as of the end of August 2012, outperforming the average 8.6% return for US Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) during that time and beating both the Dow Jones Industrial Average (up 13.1%) and the Nasdaq Composite Average (up 15.6%) for the same period.

The performance of these IPOs may come as a surprise given the difficult environment companies in the sector have faced for completing offerings, says Burrill & Co, a diversified global financial services firm.

The performance of therapeutics IPOs has been bolstered by the strong performance of a handful of companies led by the 159.4% rise in shares of Pacira Pharmaceuticals since its public market debut in February 2011 and the 145.6% increase in shares of Supernus Pharmaceuticals from its April 2012 IPO. Pacira has been rising since its April 2012 launch of Expareo, a non-opiate, post-surgical pain killer. Supernus, a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on central nervous system disorders, has risen on news of tentative U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of Trokendi XR, its once-daily extended release formulation of the anticonvulsant topiramate.