5 Top NASDAQ Biotech Stocks: Repros Therapeutics Spikes over 150 Percent

Last week wasn’t a bad week for NASDAQ Biotechnology index (INDEXNASDAQ:NBI), ending the week’s trade only 9.54 points or 0.32 percent lower than the previous week. With the index having steadily recovered from the lows seen earlier this year, perhaps the continued uptrend means that things are starting to look up for the biotechnology sector. 

Making some positive strides last week on the NASDAQ exchange, investors will find the following five top gainers:

• Repros Therapeutics (NASDAQ:RPRX)
• Eleven Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:EBIO)
• Synta Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:SNTA)
• Discovery Laboratories (NASDAQ:DSCO)
• Lombard Medical (NASDAQ:EVAR)

Here is a look at what the companies were up to last week and an overview of their share price movements.

Repros Therapeutics

Last week’s NASDAQ top gainer was Repros Therapeutics, a development stage biopharmaceutical company developing oral molecule drugs to meet unmet medical needs that treat male and female reproductive disorders. Giving the company a push to be the top gainer for the week was news of positive clinical data for vaginal Proellex® to treat women with severe menstrual bleeding due to uterine fibroids. The data highlighted that doses of both 6mg and 12mg achieved significant reduction in excessive bleeding.
On the back of the news, Repros share price was up a significant 152 percent, making for a year to date increase of 87.6 percent. Repros ended the week at $2.25.

Eleven Biotherapeutics

A preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company working with a proprietary protein engineering platform called AMP-Rx, Eleven Biotherapeutics is developing protein therapies to treat diseases of the eye. The company’s therapeutic approach is based on the role of cytokines in diseases of the eye. Cytokines are cell signaling molecules found in the body that can have important inflammatory effects. Eleven Biotherapeutics has not released any news since March 24, when it announced its fourth quarter and full year 2015 financial results.
Still, the company traded up by 75.15 percent over the course of the week.

Synta Pharmaceuticals

Focused on developing and commercializing oncology medicines that have the potential to change the lives of cancer patients, Synta Pharmaceuticals was third on the list of gainers last week.
Giving the company a boost was news that it had entered into a definitive merger agreement with Madrigal Pharmaceuticals. According to the company’s press release, the merger will create a company focused on the development of novel small-molecule drugs to treat cardiovascular-metabolic diseases and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

Discovery Laboratories

Making a repeat appearance on the top gainers list was Discovery Laboratories which is developing aerosolized KL4 surfactant therapies for respiratory diseases. The company hasn’t had news since March 24 with its Q4 2015 results, however, an upgrade by Zacks Research from “Hold” to “Buy” has spurred investor interest.
Last week, Discovery Laboratories gained 62 percent, ending the week at $3.86.

Lombard Medical

Lombard Medical is a medical device company with a focus on treating abdominal aortic aneurysms.With the minimally invasive treatment worth $1.7 billion, the company has global regulatory approval for Aorfix, an endovascular stent graft which has been specifically designed to treat patients with the broadest range of AAA anatomies. Lombard also has CE Mark approval for the Altura™ endograft system.
Last week, the company completed its first endovascular stent graft live case training workshop. Rounding off the week’s top five, Lombard Medical gained 37 percent.
Data for 5 Top NASDAQ Stocks articles is retrieved each Friday after market close using The Globe and Mail’s market data filter. Only companies with a market capitalization greater than $10 million prior to the week’s gains are included. Companies within the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors are considered.
Securities Disclosure: I, Vivien Diniz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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