The latest health care market talk roundup highlighted several analyst calls and corporate developments affecting the sector.
Smart Glasses Rivalry. EssilorLuxottica shares slipped 2.3% on Tuesday, while Snap shares nudged up 0.8% premarket after sliding nearly 10% in the prior session, according to a note from Equita analyst Domenico Ghilotti. The analyst said EssilorLuxottica’s Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, which sell for $799, are priced well below Snap’s new augmented-reality glasses, which launched at $2,195. Ghilotti noted that concerns around Snap’s high price point are weighing on the company’s share price. Separately, EssilorLuxottica announced a new hardware tie-up with Applied Materials, which Ghilotti said would allow the Paris-listed company “to maintain its leadership in the AR Glasses segment.”
Straumann Guidance Raise. Straumann Holding shares jumped 9.3% after the Swiss dental-implant company raised its 2026 profitability guidance, signaling a structurally enhanced earnings profile, according to Jefferies analysts. The analysts said in a research note that Straumann has ample room to gain share in the growing dental implant market, aided by a cloud-based digital offering. Jefferies pegged Straumann’s share of the 6 billion Swiss-franc implant market at 35%. However, the analysts added that uncertainty in China and the U.S. might cap potential valuation gains.
DiaSorin Downgrade. Deutsche Bank downgraded Italian diagnostics company DiaSorin to sell from hold, Deutsche Bank analyst Jan Koch said in a research note. Koch said the company’s 2026 guidance and 2030 targets look stretched. “We downgrade DiaSorin to sell from hold, as we believe consensus underestimates the risk of a 2026 guidance cut, alongside overly ambitious assumptions embedded in the company’s mid-term growth framework for the Liaison NES [molecular-diagnostics] platform,” the analysts said. Deutsche Bank is more cautious than the market on DiaSorin’s top-line momentum and profitability due to competition and expectations of a gradual rollout of its NES diagnostics device. The bank cut its target price on DiaSorin to €58 from €62. DiaSorin shares closed 1.3% lower at €66.44 on Tuesday.
Eli Lilly Acquisition. Eli Lilly acquired 4E Therapeutics, an Austin-based neuroscience company, 4E said in a statement. 4E is developing treatments for chronic pain, working on compounds aimed at offering meaningful pain relief while avoiding the central nervous system effects associated with many existing pain therapeutics. “Lilly’s clinical development, translational, and global commercial capacity — and its deep commitment to tackling the challenges of chronic pain for patients — make it the right home for realizing the full potential of this work for patients,” 4E’s co-founder Joe Price said. The companies did not disclose the terms of the deal.
Merck IBD Data. U.S. drugmaker Merck is due to release late-stage data on its tulisokibart drug candidate for inflammatory bowel disease next year, the company said. A prior market talk item at 1435 GMT had incorrectly reported that tulisokibart is being developed for irritable bowel disease; the correction was issued by Dow Jones Newswires.