UCB Shares Soar to All-Time High as MoonLake's HS Treatment Slammed by Analysts
Shares in Belgian biopharmaceutical company UCB SA soared to an all-time high today, adding over €7 billion ($8.2 billion) in market value, while those of MoonLake Immunotherapeutics plummeted. The dramatic shift follows analysts' assessments of the two companies' treatments for hidradenitis suppurativa (HS).
UCB's shares surged by as much as 20%, reaching a record high, after analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. described MoonLake's sonelokimab as 'unambiguously inferior' to UCB's Bimzelx in treating HS. Bimzelx demonstrated an 18% placebo-adjusted benefit, while sonelokimab showed only 14%.
This news has significant implications for investors, as noted by TD Cowen analyst Stacy Ku. UCB's market value now exceeds €44 billion, with HS contributing 21% of Bimzelx's global net sales in the first half of 2025. The HS market is projected to grow to $15 billion by 2035 due to a large number of untreated patients.
Meanwhile, MoonLake's shares plunged by as much as 89% at the New York open, erasing most of its $4 billion capitalization. The company, involved in clinical trials like the VELA Phase 3 program for HS, has not explicitly mentioned its founding year or founder in recent search results. Financiere de Tubize SA, a listed investment vehicle for the family of UCB founder Emmanuel Janssen, also saw its shares jump as much as 18% to a record high.
Today's market reaction reflects investors' confidence in UCB's HS treatment and their concerns about MoonLake's sonelokimab. As the HS market continues to grow, UCB's strong position in this area is expected to drive further market value. However, MoonLake's future in this competitive landscape remains uncertain.
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