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MENLO PARK, Calif. - The Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative (DAC), a global effort to combat Alzheimer’s disease, has partnered with Pacific Biosciences (NASDAQ: PACB), a leader in long-read sequencing platforms, to further dementia research in North Africa. This collaboration aims to create a comprehensive multi-omics dataset to understand Alzheimer’s genetics in diverse populations, focusing on the North African Dementia Registry (NADR).
The NADR project, a first of its kind in North Africa, is led by DAC in conjunction with The Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology at The American University in Cairo and UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London. The initiative will collect biosamples, perform cognitive assessments, and utilize digital phenotyping to offer new insights into the genetic and environmental factors influencing Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
PacBio’s role will involve using its advanced sequencing technology to provide high-quality genomic data, which is expected to guide future research, prevention, and treatment strategies. While the company maintains strong liquidity with a current ratio of 7.48, InvestingPro analysis reveals significant cash burn and negative EBITDA of -$249.48 million in the last twelve months. For deeper insights into PacBio’s financial health and growth prospects, investors can access the comprehensive Pro Research Report, available exclusively on InvestingPro. Vaibhav Narayan, Executive Vice President at DAC, emphasized the significance of understanding Alzheimer’s in a region with high genetic diversity, which can lead to locally relevant prevention and intervention strategies.
Neil Ward, Vice President and General Manager of EMEA at PacBio, expressed pride in the partnership, highlighting the suitability of their long-read sequencing technology for exploring the complex genetics of Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Mie Rizig, UCL NADR lead, stressed the importance of robust datasets for accelerating understanding of genetic architecture in North African populations.
The project also promises to benefit the broader region by advancing collective knowledge of dementia, as noted by Mohamed Salama, AUC-NADR lead and professor at AUC’s I-GHHE. The data generated will be available through the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative platform, facilitating global research access.
DAC, launched in 2021 by the World Economic Forum and the Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease, aims to extend research to diverse global populations and implement health system solutions suitable for worldwide application. This initiative underscores DAC’s commitment to addressing the challenges in brain health and developing a future that benefits all stakeholders involved.
This partnership announcement is based on a press release statement and reflects the ongoing efforts to enhance dementia research and understanding through international collaboration and advanced genomic technology. With annual revenue of $154.01 million and significant market volatility, investors seeking detailed analysis can find additional insights, including 8 more ProTips and extensive financial metrics, on InvestingPro.
In other recent news, Pacific Biosciences of California reported preliminary first-quarter revenues of $36.9 million, slightly down from $38.8 million in the same quarter last year. The company saw a decline in instrument revenue but achieved a record in consumable sales. In response to uncertain funding from the National Institutes of Health and new tariffs, PacBio plans to reduce its workforce and cut non-staff expenses to lower operational costs throughout 2025. The company’s full-year 2025 revenue guidance remains between $155 million and $170 million, with expected cost savings leading to lower non-GAAP operating expenses than previously projected.
PacBio announced Jim Gibson as its new Chief Financial Officer, bringing over 30 years of financial leadership experience from companies like Tesla and Apple. Analysts from Canaccord Genuity reiterated a Buy rating with a $3 price target, noting strong preliminary first-quarter results and confidence in the company’s future growth. Conversely, Scotiabank lowered its price target to $2 due to fiscal challenges but maintained a Sector Outperform rating, recognizing the long-term growth potential of PacBio’s HiFi sequencing technology.
Cantor Fitzgerald also maintained an Overweight rating with a $2.50 price target, highlighting the company’s significant market presence in the Asia-Pacific region. Analysts expressed concerns over the impact of NIH funding uncertainties on sales cycles. Despite these challenges, Cantor Fitzgerald sees the shares as undervalued, indicating optimism about the company’s potential.
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