Updates, adds context
** Eye-drug developer Kodiak Sciences' KOD.O shares up 17% to $28.24 early Weds after upsized
$160 mln follow-on priced
** KOD shares on course for biggest one-day pct gain since Oct 20
** Palo Alto, California-based
biotech late Tues said it sold ~7 mln shares at $23, a 4.7% discount to last sale
** KOD shares closed up nearly 5% on Tues after co late Mon commenced 6 mln share offering
** Co, which has ~53 mln shares outstanding, plans to use net proceeds for working capital and general corp purposes, per the prospectus
** Life sciences investor Baker Brothers, which owned ~17.3 mln shares prior to the equity raise, per LSEG, indicated interest to purchase up to one-third of offering shares
** JP Morgan, Jefferies, Evercore and UBS are joint bookrunners
** With the move on Weds, shares up about eight-fold over the past six months, putting them up >180% YTD
** Avg rating among 8 analysts is "buy" and median PT is $24, per LSEG data
(Lance Tupper is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)
((lance.tupper@tr.com 1-646-279-6380))