Daily Brief Health Care: JMDC , Prodia, Huadong Medicine Co Ltd A, EMIS Group PLC and more

• For the month of September 2023, 8 new deals (firm and non-binding) were discussed on Smartkarma with an overall announced deal size of ~US$2bn.
• The average premium for the new deals announced (or first discussed) in September was 37%. The average YTD is 35%.
• This compares to the average premium for all deals in 2022 (106 deals), 2021 (165 deals), 2020 (158 deals), and 2019 (145 deals) of 41%, 33%, 31%, and 31% respectively.

• Prodia is the leading diagnostics company in Indonesia, with over 40% market share as the most trusted brand in the country, given accreditation from the College of American Physicians.
• The company was a huge beneficiary of all the testing over COVID with the result of a post-pandemic correction but sales should see a strong 2H2023 with more like-for-like comparisons.
• Prodia (PRDA IJ) remains one of our top healthcare picks in Indonesia, with rising health consciousness driving higher demand for testing. Valuations are extremely attractive versus Indian peers. 

• We have discovered something interesting from the innovative drug evaluations disclosed by the NMPA over the years. It’s recommended to establish rational expectations for the investment return of biopharmaceutical industry.
• We analyzed the different situations faced by Biotech in IPO/M&A process, so as to help investors make rational judgments. R&D team is likely to be cut regardless of the circumstances.
• We updated views on Huadong. Its old businesses dragged down valuation. It may need to wait until Huadong delivers better-than-expected sales/profit growth in weight-loss management business before further boosting valuation.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has given final approval to the takeover of EMIS by UnitedHealth. Subject to the scheme receiving the approval of the court at the sanction hearing on 25 October, the takeover is expected to complete on 27 October. On 23 October EMIS will pay the recently proposed interim dividend to shareholders on the register on 6 October without reducing the acquisition cash consideration.