Hong Kong watchdog investigates Cloudbreak Pharma for ‘rigged’ IPO, suspends its shares

Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has ordered the stock exchange to halt trading of Cloudbreak Pharma, a US-based biotech company, pending an investigation into its recent IPO. The SFC expressed serious concerns that the IPO may have been manipulated to create the illusion of demand for the company's shares. The regulator deemed the suspension necessary to maintain an orderly and fair market and to protect investors.

Cloudbreak raised HK$611.88 million (US$78.45 million) in its IPO, with the retail portion being 77 times oversubscribed. However, the international offering was less popular, with only 168 investors subscribing to 89% of its allocation. The company's share price plummeted 39% on the first day of trading and has since lost over 90% of its IPO value, closing at HK$1.19.

Cloudbreak's founder and CEO, Ni Jinsong, established the company in California in 2015 after a 20-year career at pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Allergan. The company's IPO was conducted under Hong Kong's Chapter 18A rules, which are tailored for pre-revenue biotech firms. The SFC has the authority to mandate a stock exchange to suspend trading of a listed company's shares when it suspects false or misleading information, or if it believes a suspension is required to maintain orderly and fair trading.