5 Top Weekly NASDAQ Biotech Stocks: Vivus on Top

Last week, the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (INDEXNASDAQ:NBI) was up down by 0.52 percent as of 2:45 p.m. EST on Friday (May 25).

Overall, companies on the index saw decent returns, with the top gainers making up a well-rounded list of pharmaceutical and biotech stocks.

Some companies on the list last week didn’t have any major news over the trading period that would explain their share price increases, but most companies did.

With that in mind, the five biotech stocks on the NASDAQ that increased the most last week were:

• Vivus (NASDAQ:VVUS)
• ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL)
• Immutep (NASDAQ:IMMP) 
• AcelRx Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ACRX) 
• Histogenics (NASDAQ:HSGX)

All figures are taken as of 1 p.m. EST on Friday. Here’s a closer look at those companies.

Vivus

Top on our weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks is Vivus. Working on developing next-gen therapies for unmet need in obesity, diabetes and sexual health the company’s lead investigational product in clinical development is Qnexa for the treatment of obesity. 

Over the past trading week Vivus’ share price increased 49.70 percent to $0.91. Without any news in the past week it’s uncertain what may have triggered the company’s share price increase, but on May 8 the company reported its Q1 financial results. Some highlights from the report include an update on the Pancreaze acquisition—which is expected to close by the end of Q2 2018—and the company entering a $120 million agreement with Athyrium Capital.

Strategic objectives for the company outlined in the Q1 financial result include expanding Vivus’ commercial portfolio through the acquisition of additional cash-flow and continuing to monetize the company’s legacy assets through innovative sales and marketing strategies.

ArQule

ArQule is a biopharmaceutical company working on R&D and development for cancers and rare diseases. With five drug candidates in its pipeline, all are small molecules for targeted therapy, also known as personalized medicines.

Investors may have been interested in ArQule this past week due to two executive team appointments, for Dr. Marc Schegerin as senior vice president, corporate strategy, communication and finance, and Dr. Shirish Hirani as senior vice president, program management and product planning. “I look forward to further developing its biomarker defined oncology and rare disease programs,” Hirani said in the press release.

The company is second on the list, with a share price increase of 24.79 percent to reach $4.93.

Immutep

Middle on the weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks list is a global biotech company Immutep, which develops immunotherapeutic products to treat cancers and autoimmune diseases.

On May 17, the company announced it would present interim results from its TACTI-mel clinical trial in a global webcast on  Friday, which may have spiked investor’s interest this past trading week. The results were presented at the Annual Advances in Immuno-Oncology Congress in London and the presentation was titled “Two ACTIve Immunotherapies in melanoma (TACTI-mel): results of a phase I trial with metastatic melanoma patients treated with a soluble LAG-3 receptor (LAG-3Ig or eftilagimod alpha) as an antigen presenting (APC) activator combined with pembrolizumab.”

Over the past trading week Immutep’s share price increased 21.13 percent to $2.59.

AcelRx Pharmaceuticals

Next on our weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks is AcelRx, the company likely has its share price increase from two bouts of positive news in the past trading week. The first on Wednesday (May 23) was shares owned by Three Arch and associates were acquired by investors at Leerink Revelation Partners and Industry Ventures. The second on  Thursday was the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted AcelRx’s new drug application (NDA) resubmission for its drug DSUVIA. The FDA assigned a prescription drug user fee act goal date of November 3, 2018.

This pharmaceutical company working in the development and commercialization of innovative therapies in medically supervised settings. AcelRx has two product candidates including DSUVIA and DZUVEO with the company’s non-invasive sublingual formulation technology.

The company’s share price increased 13.33 percent over last week’s trading period to reach $3.10.

Histogenics

Last on our five top weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks list Histogenics with a 13.04 percent increase to reach $2.35 over last week’s trading period.

While the company didn’t have any news last week, it did release its Q1 financial results May 10, which may have contributed to its continual share price price increase. In that announcement, loss from operations was reduced by $700,000, research and development costs were reduced by $1.2 million and net loss attributable to common stockholders increased by $13.88—all figures all compared to Q1 in 2017.

Histogenics is developing restorative cell therapies that may offer rapid-onset pain relief and restored function, it’s lead product candidate NeoCart, is designed to rebuild a patient’s own knee cartilage to treat pain at the source and potentially prevent a patient’s progression to osteoarthritis.

Don’t forget to follow us at @INN_LifeScience for real-time updates!

Data for 5 Top NASDAQ Biotech Stocks articles is retrieved each Friday at 10:00 a.m. PST using The Globe and Mail’s market data filter. Only companies with a market capitalization greater than $50 million and lower than $500 million prior to the week’s gains are included. Companies within the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors are considered.

Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle Lakusta, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

**This article is updated weekly. Scroll to the top for the most recent information**

5 Top Weekly NASDAQ Biotech Stocks: Eiger BioPharmaceuticals Leads with 81.62 Percent

Published May 22, 2018, by Gabrielle Lakusta

Last week, the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (INDEXNASDAQ:NBI) was up by 0.8 percent as of 12 p.m. EST on Friday (May 18).

Overall, companies on the index saw decent returns, with the top gainers making up a well-rounded list of pharmaceutical and biotech stocks.

Most companies on the list last week didn’t have any major news over the trading period that would explain their share price increases.

With that in mind, the five biotech stocks on the NASDAQ that increased the most last week were:

• Eiger BioPharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:EIGR)
• ArQule (NASDAQ:ARQL)
• Galectin Therapeutics (NASDAQ:GALT)
• MEI Pharma (NASDAQ:MEIP)
• BioDelivery Sciences (NASDAQ:BDSI)

Here’s a closer look at those companies.

Eiger BioPharmaceuticals

Top on our weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks is Eager BioPharmaceuticals, a company which clinically tests original products to treat rare, orphan diseases. It recently announced the first dosage given to a patient who needs to be treated for hepatitis D virus.

What may have triggered the company’s share price increase is that Eiger and The Progeria Research Foundation (PRF) announced a collaboration and supply agreement on Wednesday (May 16). The agreement will develop and pursue the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review and potential approval of lonafarnib for the treatment of Progeria in children. The drug, lonafarnib, will mark the first therapy submitted to the FDA for the treatment of Progeria—a major milestone for this rare disease.

Eiger BioPharmaceuticals gained 81.62 percent over the five-day trading period to reach $14.85 per share as of 12 p.m. EST on Friday.

ArQule

ArQule is a biopharmaceutical company working on R&D and development for cancers and rare diseases. With five drug candidates in its pipeline, all are small molecules for targeted therapy.

Although the company didn’t have any news last week to relate to its rising share price, ArQule did release its Q1 financial report on May 7, showing the company had just over a $1 million decrease in net loss. The company also intends to build on the momentum of presenting at the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR). “After a very strong 2017 scientifically, our execution in 2018 continues to be at a high level, highlighted by continuing progress across all pipeline assets,” Brian Schwartz, Head of Research and Development and Chief Medical Officer of ArQule said in the press release.

The company is second on the list, with a share price increase of 33.46 percent to reach $3.29 as of 3:46 p.m. EST on Friday.

Galectin Therapeutics

Last week, Galectin Therapeutics’ share price increased 32.33 percent to reach $4.48 as of 3:48 p.m. EST, landing itself in the middle of our top weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks list.

Galectin develops new therapies for fibrotic disease and cancers using its carbohydrate technology that targets galactic proteins, which are key mediators of biologic and pathologic function. The company uses naturally occurring carbohydrate polymers with galactose residues to create complex carbohydrates with specific molecules weights.

On Tuesday (May 15), Galectin announced its plans to meet with the FDA for incorporating advice and guidance for its Phase 3 clinical trial program with its galectin-3 inhibitor GR-MD-02 in NASH cirrhosis. This may be the news which triggered the share price increase as keen investors know most announcements with regulatory agencies such as the FDA are important.

MEI Pharma

Next on our weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks is MEI Pharma, investors may be interested in the company this week as it announced a $75 million private placement for the sale of its common stock and warrants. The placement is led by Vivo Capital and CAM Capital. Other participants included New Enterprise Associates, Perceptive Advisors, The Biotechnology Value Fund, Boxer Capital of Tavistock Group, and Amzak Health, as well as other new and existing investors.

This pharmaceutical company working in oncology is focused on the clinical development of novel therapies for cancer. The company’s main products include Pracinostat, an oral HDAC inhibitor in late-stage clinical development for the treatment of AML and MDS to name a few.

The company’s share price increased 31.91 percent over last week’s trading period to reach $3.43 as of 3:49 p.m. EST on Friday.

BioDelivery Sciences

Last on our five top weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks list is BioDelivery Sciences, a development-stage biotechnology company which is developing and expecting to commercialize a drug delivery technology designed for a broad-base of pharmaceutical such as vaccines and over the counter drugs.

While the company didn’t have any news in the past trading week which may have triggered its share price increase of 31.43 percent to $2.27 as of 3:50 p.m. EST on Friday..

Some highlights from the financial result include the company’s Belbuca net revenue sales from prescriptions which increased 76 percent since Q1 2017, and the prescription growth itself rose 55 percent over the same time, and a $11.3 million total revenue for the quarter.

Don’t forget to follow us at @INN_LifeScience for real-time updates!

Data for 5 Top NASDAQ Biotech Stocks articles is retrieved each Friday at 10:00 a.m. PST using The Globe and Mail’s market data filter. Only companies with a market capitalization greater than $50 million and lower than $500 million prior to the week’s gains are included. Companies within the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors are considered.

Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle Lakusta, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.