The wattle is in flower and the orchids are beginning to bloom. Spring has sprung in Melbourne and all indices were up for the last month of Winter.

The Biotech Daily Top 40 Index (BDI-40) climbed 9.25 percent in August to a collective market capitalization of $20,640 million, the benchmark ASX200 was up 3.15 percent to 9,076 points, and the four Big Caps of Cochlear, CSL, Pro Medicus and Resmed, which are not included in the BDI-40, jumped a collective 21.9 percent to $157,325 million, but 27.0 percent below the $215,588 million, a year ago.

The Nasdaq Biotechnology Index was up 10.4 percent in August and 52.3 percent for the year to August 31, 2026.

CSL led the Big Caps, recovering a further $20,900 million or 34.1 percent to $82,167 million, Pro Medicus climbed 11.6 percent to $18,741 million, Resmed was up 10.9 percent to $47,659 million, with Cochlear up 9.6 percent to $8,758 million.

Thirty-one of the BDI-40 companies were up in August, with 10 up by more than 10 percent; seven fell, of which four fell by more than 10 percent. Two were unchanged.

Avita was the percentage best in August, up $231 million or 115.5 percent to $431 million, but it was Telix that again added the most to the index, up $438 million or 9.2 percent to $5,219 million.

From a much lower base, Paradigm was up 39.8 percent to $137 million, followed by Curvebeam (22.2%), Polynovo (18.8%), Mesoblast (15.7%), Dimerix (14.3%), Compumedics (13.3%), Neuren (12.95%), Impedimed (12.5%) and Alcidion (10.2%).

From a lower base, Prescient led the few falls, down $20 million or 22.5 percent to $69 million, Imugene (16.7%), Clinuvel down $664 million or 13.7 percent to $404 million following its news that it was also going to the Nasdaq in search of better valuations and Nanosonics was down 11.9 percent.

Outside the BDI-40, Echo IQ re-joined the billion-dollar club along with Anteris, while PYC joined the two-billion-dollar club.

Vitrafy was at its highest end-of-month valuation, having hit $354 million in mid-August, but easing to $293 million last night. Cogstate and BLS (formerly Bioxyne) were at their year’s best.

The 11 companies in Cannabis & Psychedelics Corner climbed 15.8 percent for the month – up 64.5 percent for the 12 months to August 31, 2026 - led by BLS up $58 million in the month or 31.2 percent to $244 million, followed by Avecho up 21.9 percent to $89 million.

On the Nasdaq, Eyepoint (formerly Psivida) tumbled $933 million or 63.9 percent to $527 million on news that the “primary endpoint [was] not achieved” in its 400-patient, ‘Lugano’ phase III trial of Duravyu for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Protagonist continued its climb, more than doubling for the year to $13,343 million, Redhill jumped 33.3 percent in August from a very low base and Incannex was up 12 percent.