The Carlyle Group has several ways to make money off the coronavirus. Reuters reported:
Private equity firm Carlyle Group Inc-backed Ortho Clinical Diagnostics said on Wednesday its COVID-19 antibody testing program received a grant of $678,000 from the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).
The medical firm said it currently makes two COVID-19 tests - a total antibody test that detects all COVID-19 antibodies and the IgG test, which detects a specific antibody that appears in the patient's blood in the later phase of the infection and remains elevated even after recovery.
In late February Carlyle bought blood products software maker MAK Systems. Blood plasma is one of the treatments for those ill with COVID-19. MAK Systems is a blood plasma play. Plasma carries the antibodies that could help sick patients recover.
Carlyle could be both a testing and treatment play, especially since the Fed and Congress sent a fire hose of cash to keep companies from failing.
The Carlyle Group's stock closed at $30.94 today, well off its March low
of $17.08. Fed Chair and former Carlyle executive Jay Powell rescued his
brethren with promises to buy corporate bonds. It's not clear if Powell
bought bonds from any Carlyle affiliates. I am curious if Jay's Fed bought any Ortho Clinical bonds.
