Whalatane
2 days ago
Tang and AUPH
Based on the search results, here are the key details about Tang Capital Management's purchases of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals (AUPH) stock:
Recent Acquisition
Tang Capital Management made a significant acquisition of AUPH shares in September 2024:
Acquired approximately 7,229,500 shares
This represents about 5.1% ownership of AUPH
The shares were acquired for approximately $44.5 million
Previous Holdings
Prior to this large acquisition, Tang Capital had smaller positions in AUPH:
As of December 31, 2023: 550,000 shares worth $4.9 million
As of September 30, 2023: 750,000 shares worth $5.8 million
Impact
This recent purchase represents a major increase in Tang Capital's stake in Aurinia Pharmaceuticals:
It's described as a "significant acquisition" that "significantly bolsters" Tang Capital's position in AUPH
The 7.2 million share purchase is over 10 times larger than their previous position
Filing Details
Tang Capital filed a Schedule 13D form to disclose this large acquisition
The 13D was filed on September 12, 2024
This type of filing indicates Tang Capital may intend to actively influence the company's business strategy
This substantial increase in ownership suggests Tang Capital sees significant potential in Aurinia Pharmaceuticals and may seek to play a more active role in the company's direction going forward.
Kiwi
nsomniyak
2 days ago
There is a pretty active discussion of AUPH on StockTwits.
I am inclined to agree with some of the posters there who think we will soon see Tang lead a "private equity take under" at a relatively low price. THis seems to have been his MO in the past.
If that happens I will be disappointed to get a far lower price than we had hoped for over the last several years, but I will also feel relief to get some closure and move on.
The fact that they released OUTSIDE directors suggests they are not overly concerned about corporate governance issues over the long term, which further suggests a resolution in the (relative) short term.
Why PG stays on the board I don't know. If there are negotiations in flight, I can see the board saying "we need to keep PG as CEO and point person in those negotiations", but he doesn't need to be on the board for that. Now that I think of it, I imagine PG told the rest of the board "if you accept my resignation I will walk away and you will need to start over on making a deal" (out of vanity and to keep "was voted off the BoD off of his resume) and the board caved.
Certainly, the fact that PG was retained suggests a deal in the near term is the most likely end game, though probably not at the premium we would have liked.
Whalatane
3 weeks ago
RMB. Theres a new video out on Healio / Nephrology that prescribers in the field are probably aware of .
I can't seem to link it but maybe you can
Explains the decision tree and how they ended up using Lupkynis with good results
In this video, Craig Gordon, MD, nephrologist at Tufts Medical Center and associate professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, introduces a case of lupus nephritis:
Editor’s note: The following is an automatically generated transcript of the above video.
"I want to introduce myself. My name is Dr. Craig Gordon. I'm an associate professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and I work in the Tufts Medical Center Center for Glomerular Diseases. And today, we're going to be discussing the case of a young woman with lupus nephritis and to consider questions that all of us are grappling with since the fairly recent publications of randomized control trials of belimumab (Benlysta, GlaxoSmithKline), as well as voclosporin (Lupkynis, Aurinia), as well as the recently published 2024 update to the KDIGO guidelines on lupus nephritis.
I think a lot of treating clinicians are trying to come to grips with which patients would benefit from the addition of either belimumab or voclosporin to standard induction therapy for lupus. And so, I'm going to use a case to help us start the process of thinking about this when faced with seeing a patient with lupus nephritis and to highlight your attention to some very helpful guidance that's been provided by the KDIGO guidelines on lupus nephritis published earlier this year."
And then he finish's with
"Pleased to report that almost six months into this course, she's had a very nice response. Her proteinuria has improved from a peak of around 12.6 grams to recently, a few weeks ago, down to 1.9 grams, with a concomitant improvement in her serum albumin to 3.8 grams per deciliter. Her eGFR has been stable, the most recent value of 89 MLs per minute. Her complement values have returned to normal and double-stranded DNA have normalized as well. So she continues at the present time on full-dose mycophenolate and voclosporin (Lupkynis, Aurinia). We've nearly completely tapered her off prednisone and expect to do so in the next few weeks.
This is great for prescribers ...experts in the field reporting experience with the drug .
Patients definitely want to get off the steroids ( prednisone )
Kiwi
Pablo Bio
1 month ago
August 13, 2024
Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Shareholder Calls for CEO Peter Greenleaf, Dr. Brinda Balakrishnan, and Dr. Robert Foster to Resign from the Board
Highlights Damning Annual General Meeting Results, Which Show That Four of the Company’s Nine Directors Failed to Receive a Majority of the Votes
Calls on the Company to Appoint Two Shareholder Representatives to Bring Much-Needed Accountability to the Boardroom
August 13, 2024 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
GENEVA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lucien Selce, who owns approximately 2.2% of the outstanding shares of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: AUPH) (“Aurinia” or the “Company”), today issued the below open letter to the Board of Directors (the “Board”) regarding the urgent need for accountability and boardroom changes.
***
August 13, 2024
Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc.
#140, 14315 – 118 Avenue
Edmonton, AB T5L 4S6
Canada
Attention: The Board of Directors
Members of the Board,
Over the past few months, I have expressed my concerns regarding the Company’s current strategy and trajectory due to the Board’s lack of appropriate oversight and relevant skillsets. Recent developments following the 2024 Annual General Meeting (the “AGM”) have made clear that current leadership has no interest in acting in shareholders’ best interests and in protecting the future of the Company.
The fact that four of the nine directors up for re-election at the 2024 AGM, including CEO Peter Greenleaf, failed to secure a majority of the votes speaks volumes about the need for boardroom change and a new strategy for value creation.1 The current state of affairs at Aurinia – marked by unchecked spending, ineffective leadership, and a clear lack of strategic direction – demands immediate and decisive action.
Aurinia Has Spent Excessive Capital Without Focusing on Research and Development (“R&D”)
The Company has recklessly spent $100 million in just six months, yet there has been little to no investment in R&D, which is the cornerstone of Aurinia’s future growth. This irresponsible financial management is unacceptable. Aurinia should be operated efficiently with a budget of $70 million – not $150 million. The current financial strategy is unsustainable and detrimental to shareholder value.
Management Continues to Pursue an Ineffective Strategy
In February 2024, the Company publicly announced the discontinuation of AUR200. Then, during the Q2 2024 earnings call, Mr. Greenleaf reversed this decision, stating that its development had resumed. This inconsistency not only undermines the credibility of the Company’s leadership, but also raises serious concerns about transparency with the market.
Moreover, during the same earnings call, it was openly acknowledged that the Company struggled to achieve the expected sales of LUPKYNIS. In addition, ADALVO (a generic drug manufacturer) has come up with a Voclosporin-based product, akin to a generic version of LUPKYNIS. This development, which could upset the Company’s competitive position, was not even discussed by management.
Leadership Has a Track Record of Ignoring Shareholders’ Interests
Despite announcing a $150 million share repurchase program in February 2024, only $18 million has been spent over the last six months, even as the Company continues to trade at rock bottom levels. This lack of action is a missed opportunity to support the share price and demonstrates poor judgment by leadership.
After being voted out at the recent AGM, Mr. Greenleaf and three other directors remain in their positions. The Board’s failure to accept conditional director resignations and Mr. Greenleaf’s avoidance of this topic during the latest earnings call demonstrate a blatant disregard for shareholders’ votes and sound governance.
The issues outlined above highlight the urgent need for effective oversight and changes to the composition of the Board. In my view, the only way the Company can improve its trajectory and begin creating value for shareholders is by taking the below steps:
Dr. Brinda Balakrishnan, Dr. Robert T. Foster, and Mr. Greenleaf should each submit their immediate firm (not provisional) resignations, as they have failed in their respective roles. At the 2024 AGM, 52.5% of shareholders withheld support for Dr. Balakrishnan, 51.8% withheld support for Mr. Greenleaf, and Dr. Foster was narrowly elected with just 51.4% support.2 These three directors should be held responsible for the lack of meaningful M&A activity, the absence of significant research initiatives, and the consistent failure to meet the Company’s objectives.
The Board should appoint two shareholder representatives: one from MKT Capital and one from ILJIN SNT Co., Ltd. (“ILJIN”). This will ensure that the interests of the Company’s owners are directly represented in all strategic decisions moving forward.
The Board should reduce its size to streamline decision-making and enhance accountability.
ILJIN, a significant shareholder of Aurinia, should call for an Extraordinary General Meeting as soon as possible. This meeting is essential to address the aforementioned urgent issues, execute necessary leadership changes, and realign the Company’s strategic direction with shareholders’ interests.
The time for change is now. Continued mismanagement of Aurinia threatens the future of our Company and the value we, as shareholders, have entrusted to you. I expect immediate action to rectify these issues.
Furthermore, I want to emphasize that under no circumstances should the Board proceed with acquiring additional assets that could jeopardize the Company's cash flow and financial stability. This reckless behavior must be halted to preserve the long-term health of Aurinia.
Sincerely,
Lucien Selce
***
________________________
1
Company’s Form 8-K dated June 14, 2024.
2 Company’s Form 8-K dated June 14, 2024.
Contacts
Lucien Selce
Lucienselce@gmail.com
moosedogger
2 months ago
I was wrong in my assumption.
I'm a charter member of the club that has been wrong about him. For years I thought his pointless, worthless posts were a cry for help, and that he must have someone who cares about him enough to get him some professional help.
But if that/those person(s) even existed, they have clearly failed so far. I say that because if he is institutionalized presently, he's somehow able to have internet access, which is most unfortunate.
I like to think that everyone has at least some value, but he's really demonstrating how wrong that assumption is.
He might be the dumbest investor in history; if the Olympics had such a competition, he deserves to be a world champion.
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biotech_researcher
1 month ago
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