Janus Henderson is pleased to announce the launch of the Janus Henderson Global Life Sciences Equity Fund OEIC, which aims to outperform the MSCI World Health Care Index by at least 2% per annum over the course of a market cycle, by investing in companies worldwide that are addressing unmet medical needs or aimed at maintaining or improving quality of life.
The Fund is an extension of the successful Janus Henderson Global Life Sciences Strategy, whichlaunched more than 20 years ago and has built one of the strongest track records in the industry. (Morningstar top 1% over the last decade). The Fund will be managed by Portfolio Managers Andy Acker and Dan Lyons. Andy Acker leads the firm’s Health Care Sector Research team and has been managing the Global Life Sciences strategy since 2007. Andy and Dan are supported by a team of sector specialists with scientific backgrounds who have more than 100 years of combined healthcare investment experience.
The team adopt a diversified approach across market capitalisations, geographies and the primary sub-sectors of healthcare including investments in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, healthcare services, and medical devices. The Fund gives investors exposure to innovation in healthcare and healthcare’s accelerating growth opportunities. Key factors such as ageing populations and growing wealth are increasing demand for healthcare, while advancements in technology and Research & Development are accelerating the speed to market of new products. These dynamics have spurred funding for medical research, escalating private and public investment.
Andy Acker, Portfolio Manager at Janus Henderson Investors said:
“Unique to the healthcare sector is the disparity of returns between the best performing stocks and the worst – it is the widest of any sector. At the same time, large biopharmaceutical and managed care companies can offer steady returns amid periods of market volatility, thanks to their stable free cash flows. Our Global Life Sciences team – whose members include a practicing physician and analysts with biomedical PhDs – focuses on understanding both the science and commercial opportunities throughout the sector. This combination of expertise and experience makes our team well equipped for this highly complex and dynamic sector, as we aim to provide both growth and capital preservation for investors.”
Commenting on the launch, Ignacio De La Maza, Head of EMEA Intermediary & LatAm, added:
“We are delighted to offer UK-based investors access to our successful Janus Henderson Global Life Sciences strategy. We see global life sciences equities as a core capability of our offering; this strategy was first launched in 2000, and in that time the management team have built a long and successful track record. The quality of our team, the depth of our research and our disciplined long-term approach set us apart in pursuing superior risk-adjusted results for clients.”
The Fund will be available as an OEIC in the UK to retail, wholesale and institutional investors and will be managed as part of the existing and long-standing Irish and US Mutual vehicles.
