“[Pharma companies are] really buying stuff like it’s going out of fashion.”
– Rajesh Kumar, Head of Life Sciences & Healthcare Equity Research, HSBC (CNBC, June 4, 2026)
June extended a record run of biopharma dealmaking. Big Pharma M&A is on pace for more than $250 billion in 2026—the sector’s strongest year since 2019—after $209 billion in 2025, according to PitchBook. The pressure is structural: PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) estimates more than $300 billion of branded-drug revenue loses patent protection this decade, and its midyear outlook puts focused mid-cap and bolt-on deals at the center of the market. Regulatory clarity for biotech added to broad momentum—on June 17 the FDA signaled a more flexible path for approving treatments of serious diseases—while equity raises, including Definium’s upsized $700 million raise, are letting late-stage developers fund pivotal trials without waiting for a buyer.
That is the sweet spot of the market SBIO is built to own. The Fund holds US small- and mid-cap biotechnology companies ($200 million to $5 billion in market value) with at least one drug in Phase II or Phase III FDA trials and enough cash to fund roughly two years of operations—screening out both the mega-caps writing the checks and the earliest-stage, riskier names still years from data and tangible trial results. For SBIO, semi-annual reconstitution keeps that exposure current: The June 18 rebalance added 37 companies and dropped 15, with one of the new additions, Definium, delivering a Phase III win four days later.
| Cumulative | Annualized |
||||||||
| 1 M | YTD | 1 Y | 3 Y | 1 Y | 3 Y | 5 Y | 10 Y | SI | |
| SBIO - NAV (Net Asset Value) | 18.64% | 26.26% | 114.56% | 112.04% | 114.56% | 28.44% | 6.45% | 11.94% | 9.35% |
| SBIO - Market Price | 18.75% | 26.22% | 115.00% | 112.62% | 115.00% | 28.56% | 6.51% | 11.99% | 9.46% |
| S-Network Medical Breakthroughs Index - TR | 18.74% | 26.53% | 114.47% | 112.79% | 114.47% | 28.59% | 6.79% | 12.25% | 9.81% |
| NASDAQ Biotechnology Index - TR | 9.65% | 15.39% | 56.25% | 64.76% | 56.25% | 18.09% | 5.80% | 10.04% | 7.17% |
Source: Bloomberg L.P. and SS&C ALPS Advisors, as of 06/30/2026
Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The investment return and principal value will fluctuate. Current performance may be higher or lower than the performance quoted. For current month-end performance call 1-866-759-5679 or visit www.alpsfunds.com. Performance includes reinvested distributions and capital gains.
Market Price is based on the midpoint of the bid/ask spread at 4 p.m. ET and does not represent the returns an investor would receive if shares were traded at other times.
Fund inception date: 12/30/2014
Total Operating Expenses: 0.50%
* Weight in SBIO as of 06/30/2026
| Apogee Therapeutics Inc | 4.36% | Travere Therapeutics Inc | 2.80% | |
| CG oncology Inc | 3.33% | Definium Therapeutics Inc | 2.73% | |
| Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc | 3.09% | VeraDermics Inc | 2.72% | |
| Oruka Therapeutics Inc | 3.05% | Edgewise Therapeutics Inc | 2.32% | |
| Dianthus Therapeutics Inc | 2.83% | ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc | 2.30% |
As of 06/30/2026, subject to change
Important Disclosures & Definitions
An investor should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. To obtain a prospectus containing this and other information, call 1-866-759-5679 or visit www.alpsfunds.com. Read the prospectus carefully before investing.
Shares of ETFs are bought and sold at market price (not NAV) and are not individually redeemable.
Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results; current performance may be higher or lower than performance quoted.
All investments are subject to risks, including the loss of money and the possible loss of the entire principal amount invested. Additional information regarding the risks of this investment is available in the prospectus.
Diversification does not eliminate the risk of experiencing investment losses.
The Fund’s investments are concentrated in the pharmaceuticals and biotechnology industries, and underperformance in these areas will result in underperformance in the Fund. Investments in small and micro capitalization companies are more volatile than companies with larger market capitalizations. Companies in the pharmaceuticals and biotechnology industry may be subject to extensive litigation based on product liability and similar claims. Legislation introduced or considered by certain governments on such industries or on the healthcare sector cannot be predicted.
Companies in the pharmaceuticals industry are subject to competitive forces that may make it difficult to raise prices and, in fact, may result in price discounting. The profitability of some companies in the pharmaceuticals industry may be dependent on a relatively limited number of products. In addition, their products can become obsolete due to industry innovation, changes in technologies or other market developments. Many new products in the pharmaceuticals industry are subject to government approvals, regulation and reimbursement rates. The process of obtaining government approvals may be long and costly. Many companies in the pharmaceuticals industry are heavily dependent on patents and intellectual property rights. The loss or impairment of these rights may adversely affect the profitability of these companies.
The development of new drugs generally has a high failure rate, and such failures may negatively impact the stock price of the company developing the failed drug. Biotechnology companies may have persistent losses during a new product’s transition from development to production. In order to fund operations, biotechnology companies may require financing from the capital markets, which may not always be available on satisfactory terms or at all.
The Fund employs a “passive management” - or indexing - investment approach and seeks investment results that correspond (before fees and expenses) generally to the performance of its underlying index. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund is not “actively” managed. Therefore, it would not necessarily sell or buy a security unless that security is removed from or added to the underlying index, respectively.
NASDAQ Biotechnology Index: designed to track the performance of a set of securities listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ) that are classified as either biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies, and is a modified market capitalization weighted index.
S-Network Medical Breakthroughs Index: comprised of small and mid-cap stocks of biotechnology companies that have one or more drugs in either Phase II or Phase III of the US Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) clinical trials.
One may not invest directly in an index.
ALPS Advisors, Inc., registered investment adviser with the SEC, is the investment adviser to the Fund. ALPS Advisors, Inc. is affiliated with ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc.
ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. is the distributor for the Fund.
Not FDIC Insured • No Bank Guarantee • May Lose Value
SMB000496 10/31/2026