1️⃣ Chiesi paid for an HAE launch, not a promise

Chiesi agreed to buy KalVista for $27 a share in cash, valuing the company at about $1.9B and giving Chiesi Ekterly, the oral on-demand HAE drug approved in 2025.

💡 Why it matters

This is rare-disease M&A with revenue already visible. The risk is less about biology and more about how much oral HAE share survives the next competitive wave.

Coffee talk

If Ekterly is already off the board, who has to decide whether Pharvaris is next or just more expensive?


2️⃣ Avalyn found a real IPO window

Avalyn priced an upsized IPO at $18 a share, raising expected gross proceeds of $300M before its Nasdaq debut under AVLN on April 30.

💡 Why it matters

This is a useful market signal. Public buyers funded a Phase 2 respiratory biotech around inhaled reformulations, not a clean late-stage biologic or obesity story.

Coffee talk

How many private respiratory companies just got a better comp because Avalyn cleared $300M?


3️⃣ GSK’s Alector bet lost its second leg

Alector will discontinue the Phase 2 PROGRESS-AD trial of nivisnebart after an interim futility analysis found it was unlikely to slow disease progression.

💡 Why it matters

The progranulin thesis now has two clinical misses inside the same GSK-backed collaboration. The question moves from target rationale to human translation.

Coffee talk

After latozinemab and nivisnebart, who still wants to pay up for antibody-based neuroimmune biology before human proof?