Could bluebird bio (BLUE) Cure Sickle Cell Anemia in 2015? Is Big Bio in Pharma Radars?

After bolting 93% higher already this week on a positive ASH update, bluebird bio (NASDAQ: BLUE) is continuing higher Friday (+2.3%) in part as Piper Jaffray's Joshua Schimmer said one of his Top 15 potential "Surprise" Biopharma Events For 2015 includes bluebird bio curing sickle cell anemia.

Schimmer said 2015 is poised to be a big year for gene therapy, and success in alleviating the sickle cell phenotype with BLUE's approach would represent another landmark for the field. Heart failure and CHF are other gene therapy opportunities coming into focus in 2015 he said. "Other events in the gene therapy field in 2015 will likely include additional data from ophthalmology programs including AAVL (wet AMD) and AGTC (XLRS and achromatopsia)," he added.

Another interesting potential "Surprise" event in the sector, according to Schimmer, is that two large cap biotechs gets acquired. "The number of large-cap (>$10B) biotech companies which offer attractive long-term growth opportunities to meaningfully inflect EPS trajectories for large pharma companies continues to grow," the analyst commented. "The list now includes BIIB, CELG, BMRN, PCYC, VRTX, ALXN, REGN and INCY. All could be appealing M&A targets and fit needs of larger pharma partners. While many investors may agree that one would be a boon for an industry, two of these could lead to a broader sector revalidation."

Yet another potential "Surprise", is that MannKind (NASDAQ: MNKD) and Sanofi (NYSE: SNY) Afrezza launch goes well.

Below is a list of Schimmer's Top 15 Potential "Surprise" Biopharma Events For 2015:

1. Gene therapy establishes proof of concept in hemophilia
2. Heart failure explodes on the biopharma scene with gene therapy success
3. Biopharma does even better in 2015 than it did in 2014
4. Failed trials get approved, starting with BMRN's drisapersen
5. BLUE cures sickle cell anemia
6. BIIB finishes the year with the best large-cap pipeline and freedom to operate on
Tecfidera
7. SNY/MNKD Afrezza launch goes well
8. PD1 antibodies start to look like a thing of the past
9. AMGN blocks REGN/SNY's PCSK9 antibody
10. A biosimilar Soliris enters Phase 3
11. Gene therapy cures blindness
12. Iran gets the nuke; military spending hikes force other budget cuts
13. Two large-cap biotechs get acquired
14. CBD hits the radar screen for autism
15. ProQR transforms the CF landscape

You May Also Be Interested In

• Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. Reminds Investors That Class Action Lawsuits Have Been Filed Against Agilon, NBH, Shoals, and Blue and Encourages Investors to Contact the Firm
• bluebird bio Reports Inducement Grants Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)
• Morgan Stanley Double Upgrades eBay (EBAY) to Overweight