Can Weight-Loss Drug Ozempic Tip The Scales For Tema's New Healthcare ETF?

Tema, the exchange-traded fund platform, has launched a healthcare ETF focused on companies that research and treat cardiovascular disease and conditions associated with obesity and diabetes, including Novo Nordisk, maker of the blockbuster diet drug Ozempic.

The Tema Cardiovascular and Metabolics ETF HRST launches on the NASDAQ exchange on Tuesday and will look to cash in on the massive popularity of a new breed of drugs called semaglutides, which include Novo Norkdisk‘s NVO Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly‘s LLY Mounjaro.

“Cardiovascular and metabolic diseases are closely intertwined, combining a larger, well-established area of healthcare with a burgeoning new biopharma sector: obesity,” said Maurits Pot, co-founder and CEO of TEMA.

“This area has recently announced and launched several breakthrough therapies underscoring the pace of innovation that we believe will transform patient lives and outcomes.”

Also Read: These Foods Have An Ozempic-Like Effect And Could Help You Lose Weight

A New Breed Of Wonderdrugs

Semaglutides have, in their short history, become the new wonderdrug. Mimicking the effect of appetite-supressing hormones, these drugs slow digestion leaving patients feeling fuller for longer after meals, and contributing to a weight loss of 15-20% in obese individuals.

They have also been found to provide protection for major organs such as the heart, liver and kidneys, which come under extra pressure from obesity.

Ozempic has become so popular as a weight-loss drug, some countries have contemplated export bans due to shortages for treatment of diabetes.

The absence of an approved semaglutide in your product lineup has proven critical, a fact reflected by the recent fluctuations in stock prices. Since Eli Lilly launched Mounjaro in May 2022 its shares have leapt nearly 80%, while Novo Nordisk, with two semaglutides on the market, is up 281% since the launch of Ozempic in 2019. In contrast, Pfizer PFE, which has no semaglutide in its portfolio, is down 51% since hitting a record high in December 2021.

Investing In A $1 Trillion-A-Year Industry

Tema also sees the HRST ETF as a way of investing in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death globally and a $1 trillion-a-year industry. Also, among the companies in the ETF’s portfolio are Masimo MASI and Madrigal Pharmaceuticals MDGL

HRST’s portfolio manager is David Song, who previously managed Rockerfeller Capital’s Healthcare Fund strategy for a decade.

“The breakthrough in obesity therapeutics leads us to believe that there could be significant growth given the large patient pool and currently low penetration rates,” he said.

The HRST ETF launch follows the debut of the Tema Oncology ETF CANC on the NASDAQ on Aug. 15. Since its launch, CANC has lost almost 6%

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