The ASX 200 Health Index (XHJ) is trading higher by 0.27% at the time of writing, compared to the broader index which is down by 0.40%.

Fertility company Virtus Health (ASX:VRT) is being pursued by a takeover offer from BGH Capital.

BGH, which already owns a 9.99% stake in Virtus, now seeks to acquire the rest of the shares at $7.10 a pop.

Virtus is currently benefitting from Australia’s changing society towards having more babies through IVF cycles, with Medicare statistics showing that fresh cycle volumes growing over the past year.

The VRT stock price jumped 27% on the news to $6.60, with the Virtus Board saying that it has commenced an assessment of BGH’s proposal.

Meanwhile, clinical stage biotech, Bionomics (ASX:BNO), has launched a proposed IPO in the US, the first step towards having its ADS (American Depository Shares) listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “BNOX”.

The target size of the IPO offering is US$25 million in gross proceeds.

Bionomics is advancing its lead product candidate, BNC210, to treat patients suffering from serious central nervous system disorders.

The company already has has a strategic partnership with global firm Merck, with two drugs in early-stage clinical trials treating Alzheimer’s disease.

Virtus and Bionomics share prices today:

 

 

In other ASX health news this morning

Cancer diagnostics Rhythm Biosciences (ASX:RHY) says that as part of its 2022 strategy, it has identified five new cancer detection markets to expand its platform technology. 

The company says its bowel cancer biomarker product, ColoSTAT, could potentially be extended to five more cancer detections including: breast, cervical, lungs, gastric, and pancreatic.

This platform expansion development program is funded to $0.75m, as outlined at the company’s last capital raising. 

Antisense Therapeutics (ASX:ANP) says that it’s got an approval from the UK healthcare authorities for the development of ATL1102 to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

The Phase IIb/III clinical trial of ATL1102 will study the efficacy and safety of using ATL1102 in children with DMD.

Patient recruitment is expected to commence in mid-2022.

Noxopharm (ASX:NOX) says enrolment of the first dose cohort of patients in its DARRT-2 Phase 2 clinical trial has been completed.

The clinical trial is being conducted in multiple sites in North America, Europe, and Australia, involving approximately 100 patients with metastatic cancers.

The DARRT-2 is an experimental immunotherapy cancer treatment based on the combination of NOX’s lead drug Veyonda and radiotherapy.

Neurodegenerative specialist, Alterity Therapeutics (ASX:ALT), announced the New Zealand medical authority has authorised Alterity’s Phase 2 clinical trial for ATH434.

ATH434 is ALT’s lead drug used to treat Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), a rare and highly debilitating Parkinsonian disorder.

The Phase 2 clinical trial will be commenced in the first quarter of next year.

Other share prices today:

 

 

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