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Kailera’s Bold Bet: Skipping The Lab, Racing To Market With China’s Ozempic Rivals

by News Editor

April 18, 2025

While Big Pharma pours billions into obesity drug R&D, a new biotech startup is taking a shortcut: licensing ready-to-go therapies from China. Kailera Therapeutics, launched with $400 million from Bain Capital, Atlas Venture, and RTW Investments, is fast-tracking four obesity drugs developed by Jiangsu Hengrui — one of China’s pharmaceutical heavyweights.

The playbook? Bypass years of early-stage research. “We saw next-gen GLP-1 therapies that could leapfrog existing options,” says Dr. Amir Zamani, Bain’s life sciences partner who spearheaded the deal. One injectable candidate from Hengrui showed 59% of patients losing 20 %+ body weight in Phase II trials, with mild side effects. Even more promising: two of the licensed drugs are pills, a potential game-changer in a market currently dominated by injectables.

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With global obesity drug sales projected to hit $131 billion by 2028, Kailera aims to move fast. Leading the charge is biotech veteran Ron Renaud, who’s sold three companies for a combined $16 billion. “We likely have the most advanced and diverse weight-loss pipeline outside Big Pharma,” he says. The goal is to bring the first drug to market by 2030 — a rapid timeline thanks to Hengrui’s head start.

China’s rise as a pharmaceutical R&D hub is reshaping the biotech map. Over a third of molecules licensed by Western firms now originate there. U.S. firms have spent $8.1 billion since 2020 licensing Chinese-developed drugs — a stark contrast to just $536 million in the previous five years.

Kailera is betting this east-west fusion can deliver blockbuster results. With 100 million obese adults in the U.S. alone — not to mention global demand — the addressable market is massive. “This isn’t a one-drug race,” Renaud says. “It’s going to take an entire arsenal.”

To prep for launch, Kailera has added top-tier talent: Scott Wasserman, former cardiovascular lead at Amgen, is chief medical officer; Jamie Coleman, who led Zepbound’s commercial rollout at Lilly, now heads marketing.

Whether Kailera becomes the next independent giant or is eventually snapped up by Big Pharma, as Renaud’s previous ventures were, it’s already a standout in the white-hot weight-loss drug race.

The Future Forbes Realty Global Properties

Bank of Cyprus Upgrade Signals Fresh Optimism For Greek And Cypriot Banks

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

June 26, 2026

Regional Banks Enter A More Favorable Cycle

Bank of Cyprus and Eurobank are well positioned to benefit from a renewed re-rating of Greek and Cypriot bank stocks, according to Cyprus-based investment firm Roemer Capital, which upgraded Bank of Cyprus to a buy rating and reaffirmed its positive view on Eurobank.

The firm cited easing geopolitical tensions, resilient economic growth in Greece and Cyprus, lower funding costs and Greece’s expected transition to developed-market status as the main factors supporting the sector.

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Roemer Capital also lowered its cost of equity assumptions, updated its forecasts following first-quarter 2026 results and extended its valuation horizon to the end of 2027, raising target prices across its banking coverage.

Bank Of Cyprus Gets The Largest Upgrade

Bank of Cyprus received the biggest revision, with Roemer Capital upgrading the stock from hold to buy and setting a target price of €11.10, implying potential total upside of 27%.

The firm highlighted the bank’s strong capital generation, profitability and projected 100% dividend payout, describing it as the strongest capital-return story among the banks under coverage. Roemer Capital maintained its buy rating on Eurobank, assigning a target price of €4.90 and forecasting potential upside of 28%. The report said the bank is well placed to benefit from loan growth, improving operating performance and merger-and-acquisition synergies.

National Bank of Greece and Piraeus Bank also retained buy ratings, with expected returns ranging from 25% to 36%. Optima Bank was upgraded to buy, while Alpha Bank remained at hold on valuation grounds.

Why Growth Still Sets The Region Apart

According to Roemer Capital, Greek and Cypriot banks continue to benefit from stronger economic fundamentals than many western European peers. The report pointed to faster economic growth, healthier balance sheets, low levels of non-performing exposures, capital ratios approaching 20% and strong customer deposit bases.

Analysts expect performing loans across the sector to grow at a compound annual rate of 6% to 8% through 2028, supported by private investment, digitalisation, green manufacturing, supply-chain expansion and a gradual recovery in household lending.

The report also said the conclusion of lending under the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility is unlikely to materially affect credit growth, as banks have already shifted back towards traditional commercial lending. Roemer Capital expects Euribor to remain between 2.2% and 2.5%, a level it believes should support both lending activity and net interest margins.

Geopolitics, Valuation And Market Structure Support The Case

The report said improving geopolitical conditions have strengthened the investment outlook, noting that Brent crude prices have largely returned to pre-war levels while Greek government bond yields have stabilised at around 3.5%. Although geopolitical risks remain, Roemer Capital believes the likelihood of a major inflationary shock or significant pressure on bank profitability has eased.

Another important catalyst identified by the firm is Greece’s expected promotion to developed-market status by FTSE Russell, STOXX and MSCI over the coming months.

According to the report, the reclassification should improve liquidity and attract a broader base of international investors. Roemer Capital also said Euronext’s acquisition of the Athens Exchange is expected to strengthen market infrastructure and increase international visibility, particularly for Bank of Cyprus and Optima Bank.

The firm noted that Bank of Cyprus has already benefited from its Athens listing, with average daily trading value increasing from less than €400,000 before its September 2024 move to nearly €6 million afterwards.

Economic Momentum Remains A Core Tailwind

Roemer Capital said both Greece and Cyprus have moved beyond post-crisis recovery and are now supported by private-sector-led growth. For Cyprus, the report highlighted recent tax reform and efforts to simplify the legal and regulatory framework, while also noting that limited foreign banking competition continues to support domestic lenders.

Overall, Roemer Capital expects Greek and Cypriot banks to remain well-positioned for profitable loan growth over the coming years.