5 Top NASDAQ Biotech Stocks: HTG Molecular Diagnostics Gains 128.46 Percent

Top Weekly Biotech Stocks for February 27 to March 3, 2017:

The NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (INDEXNASDAQ:NBI) was up by 4.29 percent over the last five trading days and ended the week at 3,164.75 points. The Index is up 14.14 percent year-to-date.
Last week’s news was varied: multiple positive tests results from La Jolla Pharmaceuticals and BioCryst Pharmaceuticals to FDA approval for Dynavax vaccine against Hepatitis B.
Here is a closer look at the top five NASDAQ gainers in the biotechnology and pharmaceuticals space:

• HTG Molecular Diagnostics, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTGM)
• La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company (NASDAQ:LJPC)
• Dynavax Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ:DVAX)
• NewLink Genetics Corp (NASDAQ:NLNK)
• BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:BCRX)

HTG Molecular Diagnostics

HTG is a company working on better profiling tumors while decreasing the use of tissue specimens. Early last week HTG announced the launch of its new direct-target sequencing chemistry will be offered to its patients. This new system is designed for direct sequencing of specific DNA.
HTG Molecular gained 128.46 percent over the five-day trading week and ended at $2.81 per share.

La Jolla Pharmaceuticals Company

La Jolla, biopharmaceutical developing therapies to improve the outcome of patients facing life-threatening diseases. La Jolla announced positive results for their phase 3 test on hypotension treatment.
La Jolla gained 73.78 percent over the five-day trading week and ended at $34.53 per share.

Dynavax Technologies Corporation

Dynavax is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical working on products for the prevention of infectious disease, the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, and the treatment of cancer. Last Tuesday the FDA approved Dynavax’s HEPLISAV-B, the company’s vaccine candidate for immunization against hepatitis B infection in adults 18 years of age and older.
Dynavax gained 54.32 percent over the five-day trading week and ended at $6.25 per share.

NewLink Genetics Corp

NewLink is a biopharmaceutical working to develop new immuno-oncology products. Last Wednesday NewLink announced two abstracts on the company’s indoximod program will be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2017 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
NewLink gained 44.15 percent over the five-day trading week and ended at $20.44 per share.

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

BioCryst designs optimizes and develops novel small-molecule drugs that block key enzymes involved in infectious and inflammatory diseases. On Monday last week, BioCryst announced positive results from its phase 2 APeX-1 trial which could prove to be a positive step in the treatment of hereditary angioedema.
BioCryst gained 39.89 percent over the five-day trading week and ended at $7.68 per share.
Don’t forget to follow @INN_LifeScience for real-time updates!
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, Bryan Mc Govern, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Top gainers for February 20-24, 2017:

The NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (INDEXNASDAQ:NBI) was up by 1.94 percent over the last five trading days and ended the week at 3,034.08 points. The Index is up 9.43 percent year-to-date.
Last week’s news was varied: from Roche reporting patient death in the phase 3 trial of the company’s hemophilia blockbuster emicizumab, to Novartis’ cancer drug Zykadia being granted priority review by the US FDA.
Here is a closer look at the top five NASDAQ gainers in the biotechnology and pharmaceuticals space:

• Bellerophon Therapeutics (NASDAQ:BLPH)
• Vermillion, Inc.(NASDAQ:VRML)
• Galectin Therapeutics (NASDAQ:GALT)
• Jaguar Animal Health (NASDAQ:JAGX)
• Alphatec Holdings (NASDAQ:ATEC)

Bellerophon Therapeutics

Bellerophon is focused on addressing unmet medical needs in the cardiopulmonary field. In January, the company announced that the US FDA confirmed all modifications to the Phase 3 program for INOpulse in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. However, there has been no recent news from the company to explain last week’s rise in share price.
Bellerophon gained 97.18 percent over the five day trading week, and ended at $1.40 per share.

Vermillion

Vermillion gained 50 percent over the five day trading week, and ended at $2.10 per share.

Galectin Therapeutics

Galectin Therapeutics is developing therapies based on carbohydrates for the treatment of fibrotic liver disease and cancer. In early February, the company announced preclinical results and data from Phase 1 clinical trials of GR-MD-02, a complex carbohydrate drug that targets a critical protein in the pathogenesis of fatty liver disease and fibrosis. However, there has been no recent news from the company to explain last week’s rise in share price.
Galectin gained 48.44 percent over the five day trading week, and ended at $1.90 per share.

Jaguar Animal Health

Jaguar Animal Health is in the business of developing and commercializing gastrointestinal products for companion and production animals. Jaguar has an agreement in place to merge with Napo Pharmaceuticals.
Jaguar Animal Health gained 26.37 percent over the five day trading week, and ended at $1.15 per share.

Alphatec Holdings

Alphatec Holdings is the parent company of Alphatec Spine, a medical device company in the spinal fusion technology industry. There has been no recent news from the company to explain last week’s rise in share price.
Alphatec gained 21.58 percent over the five day trading week, and ended at $3.55 per share.

Top gainers for February 13-17, 2017: 

The NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (INDEXNASDAQ:NBI) was on the upside last week, up by 3.5 percent over the last five trading days and ended the week at 3,090.40 points. The Index is up 11 percent year-to-date.
ETF Daily News puts it best: “Biotechnology is now showing the first signs of life.” Indeed, the US Patent Office put an end to the CRISPR-Cas9 patent dispute last week, declaring, “no interference in fact.” This was welcome news for Editas Medicine, whose co-founder was part of the patent dispute.
Here is a closer look at the top five NASDAQ gainers in the biotechnology and pharmaceuticals space:

• Zosano Pharma (NASDAQ:ZSAN)
• Peregrine Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:PPHM)
• Bellerophon Therapeutics (NASDAQ:BLPH)
• Editas Medicine (NASDAQ:EDIT)
• Novan (NASDAQ:NOVN)

Zosano Pharma

Zosano Pharma is focused on providing patients rapid symptom relief through the company’s proprietary transdermal delivery system. Last week, the company announced that its novel transdermal therapeutic, M207, was successful in meeting co-primary endpoints in its ZOTRIP trial. M207 is a zolmitriptan-coated microneedle patch for the treatment of migraine.
Zosano Pharma gained 160 percent over the five day trading week, and ended at $3.12 per share.

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals is developing high quality products through its contract development and manufacturing organization services, as well as licensing its investigational immunotherapy and related products. Recently, the company has been focused on its cancer diagnostic technology. On February 9, Peregrine announced publication of its proof-of-concept data on Oncotarget, in a paper entitled, “Detection of phosphatidylserine-positive exosomes as a diagnostic marker for ovarian malignancies: a proof-of-concept study.”
Peregrine gained 54.28 percent over the five day trading week, and ended at $0.55 per share.

Bellerophon Therapeutics

Bellerophon’s focus is on treating cardiopulmonary diseases. Last January 4, Bellerophon announced FDA acceptance of modifications the company proposed to the Phase 3 program for INOpulse in hypertension. However, there has been no recent news from the company to explain last week’s rise in share price.
Bellerophon gained 52.11 percent over the five day trading week, and ended at $1.08 per share.

Editas Medicine

Editas Medicine is a genome-editing company. Stocks soared after the US Patent Office ruled “no interference in fact,” on the bitter intellectual patent dispute between The Broad Institute and the University of California over CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing. Editas was co-founded by Feng Zhang of The Broad Institute at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT.
Editas gained 40.12 percent over the five day trading week, and ended at $26.02 per share.

Novan

Novan is a late-stage pharmaceutical company focused on dermatology. Last January 27, Novan announced that its topical nitric oxide-releasing product, SB204, achieved statistical significance on all three co-primary endpoints in one trial. There has been no recent news from the company to explain last week’s rise in share price.
Novan gained 35.25 percent over the five day trading week, and ended at $5.64 per share.
Don’t forget to follow @INN_LifeScience for real-time updates!
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, Bryan Mc Govern, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Top gainers for February 6 to 10, 2017

The NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (INDEXNASDAQ:NBI) had its usual ups and downs last week. The index opened the week at 2,951.82 on Monday, and dipped lower to 2,920.44 by Wednesday. By Friday, the index recovered to end the trading week at 2,976.30 points.
According to ETF Daily News, earnings announcements by biotech companies lifted the index last week. Some key industry players like Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) reported better-than-expected results.
Here is a closer look at the top five NASDAQ gainers in the biotechnology and pharmaceuticals space:

• Acura Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ACUR)
• Jaguar Animal Health (NASDAQ:JAGX)
• Essa Pharma (NASDAQ:EPIX)
• Second Sight Medical Products (NASDAQ:EYES)
• Cellectar Biosciences (NASDAQ:CLRB)

Acura Pharmaceuticals

First on our weekly list is specialty pharmaceutical company Acura Pharmaceuticals that develops deterrents to medication abuse and misuse through tamper-resistant products. There has been no recent news to explain last week’s rise in share price, but Acura Pharmaceuticals gained 113.08 percent over the five day trading week, and ended at $1.14 per share.

Jaguar Animal Health

Jaguar Animal Health is developing and commercializing gastrointestinal products for companion and production animals, foals, and high value horses. Shares jumped last week at the company’s announcement of a binding agreement of terms to merge with San Francisco-based Napo Pharmaceuticals.
Jaguar Animal Health gained 33.43 percent over the five day trading week, and ended at $0.906 per share.

Essa Pharma

Essa Pharma is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical focused on the treatment of prostate cancer. On January 30th, the company announced the receipt of a US$4.0 million grant from the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas. However, there has been no recent news from the company to explain last week’s rise in share price.
Essa Pharma gained 29.91 percent over the five day trading week, and ended at $2.42 per share.

Second Sight Medical Products

Second Sight Medical Products develops and manufactures implantable visual prosthetics for blind patients. Last week, the company announced its record date for its rights offering.
Second Sight Medical Products gained 28.66 percent over the five day trading week, and ended at $2.02 per share.

Cellectar Biosciences

Last on our list, Cellectar Biosciences is developing drug conjugates for a broad range of cancers and cancer stem cells. On January 31st, the company reported that two peer-reviewed studies were published on the capabilities of Cellectar’s Phospholipid Drug Conjugates. However, there has been no recent news from the company to explain last week’s rise in share price.
Investors should take note that year to-date, the stock is up by 74.59 percent.
Cellectar Biosciences gained 27.54 percent over the five day trading week, and ended at $2.13 per share.
Don’t forget to follow @INN_LifeScience for real-time updates!
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, Pia Rivera, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.