Street Calls of the Week
WOBURN, Mass. - Spear Bio announced Tuesday a strategic distribution partnership with Bio-Techne Corporation (NASDAQ:TECH), a well-capitalized life sciences company with a market capitalization of $8.25 billion and strong financial health according to InvestingPro metrics, to expand global access to its SPEAR UltraDetect immunoassay technology, initially targeting the neurology research market.
The partnership will focus on biomarkers critical to neurodegenerative disease research, including phosphorylated tau 231, phosphorylated tau 217, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and neurofilament light. This collaboration follows Bio-Techne’s participation in Spear Bio’s $45 million Series A funding round earlier this year.
Spear Bio’s Successive Proximity Extension Amplification Reaction (SPEAR) platform, which uses technology licensed from Harvard University, provides sensitivity that is reportedly two to three orders of magnitude higher than existing immunoassay platforms. The technology can be amplified using conventional qPCR instrumentation.
"Partnering with Spear Bio marks an exciting step in our mission to advance biomarker detection in neurodegenerative disease research," said Will Geist, President of Bio-Techne’s Protein Sciences Segment, in a press release statement.
Feng Xuan, Founder and CEO of Spear Bio, stated the partnership aims to empower researchers to investigate earlier disease mechanisms, improve patient stratification in clinical trials, and accelerate treatment development for neurological disorders.
While initially focusing on neurodegenerative diseases, the companies indicated the technology could be relevant for inflammation, oncology, and other research fields.
Bio-Techne, which generated approximately $1.2 billion in net sales in fiscal 2024 and employs about 3,100 people worldwide, will leverage its global distribution network to deploy Spear Bio’s technology to researchers. The company maintains strong liquidity with a current ratio of 3.71 and has maintained dividend payments for 18 consecutive years, as reported by InvestingPro, which offers comprehensive analysis through its Pro Research Reports covering 1,400+ top US stocks.
Spear Bio, founded in 2021 and based in Woburn, Massachusetts, developed its SPEAR technology to deliver protein measurements for biomarker research and diagnostics. Based on InvestingPro Fair Value analysis, Bio-Techne currently appears slightly undervalued, with analysts projecting continued profitability this year. InvestingPro subscribers have access to 8 additional key insights about Bio-Techne’s financial position and growth prospects.
In other recent news, Bio-Techne Corp. reported its third-quarter earnings for 2025, with an adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.56, exceeding the forecasted $0.51. However, the company’s revenue slightly missed expectations, coming in at $316.2 million compared to the projected $317.5 million. Benchmark analysts reaffirmed a Buy rating and a $75.00 price target for Bio-Techne, despite anticipating slower-than-expected revenues and margins due to U.S. tariffs and proposed funding cuts to agencies like the NIH. Wells Fargo initiated coverage on Bio-Techne with an Overweight rating and set a price target of $59.00, highlighting the company’s strong financial position and potential for future acquisitions. Scotiabank lowered its price target on Bio-Techne to $75.00 from $90.00, maintaining a Sector Outperform rating, while noting the company’s potential for long-term growth. Stifel maintained its Hold rating and $60.00 price target, observing that Bio-Techne’s pharmaceutical segment is positioned for mid-single-digit growth. These developments reflect ongoing challenges and opportunities for Bio-Techne amid economic pressures and strategic growth initiatives.
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