MSCI has announced a collaboration with Nasdaq-listed biopharmaceutical company Royalty Pharma to launch new indices that aim to capture themes that will disrupt the life sciences, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry groups.
The initial indices will measure the performance of companies focused on delivering new and innovative therapeutic treatments related to virology and oncology.
MSCI will design a classification framework and index methodologies, with Royal Pharma to contribute industry and technical expertise. The indexes are planned to launch later this year.
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Henry Fernandez, chairman and CEO of MSCI, says that Covid-19 has accelerated structural changes within life sciences, with companies in this sector playing a critical role for the prevention and treatment of diseases.
“MSCI is thrilled to partner with Royalty Pharma to design thematic indexes that capture companies at the forefront of this evolving landscape and having a positive impact on the future of our world,” he says.
Pablo Legorreta, founder and CEO of Royalty Pharma, says, ”As a leading funder of innovation in life sciences, we are extremely excited to collaborate with MSCI to develop innovative index solutions that will be licensed as the basis for indexed financial products such as ETFs targeting this dynamic sector.”
