Top Biotech Stocks of 2017

When considering options in the biotech sector, experts often look more into the major companies providing massive amounts of resources to new candidates. Gains for investors can be hard to find on the mid to small cap area of the industry. However, this year there was no shortage of companies achieving success and moving up the ranks.
One of the major things investors should be on the lookout moving into 2018 is the possibility of more acquisition deals from the bigger players in the industry with smaller companies advancing different aspects of their platforms.
As such the Investing News Network (INN) takes a closer look at the companies creating the biggest gains for their shareholders throughout 2017. This list includes companies with market caps between $50 and $500 million on the NASDAQ and the TSX.

NASDAQ

3. Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX)
Viking Therapeutics is focused exclusively on the development of therapies for the metabolic and endocrine disorders. Near the end of the year the company provided a critical topline data update to their phase 2 study of VK5211 with patients recovering from hip fracture.
“We are gratified to see VK5211 produce such robust pharmacologic effects along with a promising safety profile in this challenging population,” Dr. Brian Lian, CEO of Viking said.
In 2017, Viking Therapeutics saw a 245.38 percent increase to its stock price.
2. AVEO Oncology (NASDAQ:AVEO)
With three oncology candidates on different trials at several stages of the development pipeline, AVEO is fully exploring the options on this rapidly expansive side of the biotech industry.
The company has gone through the year with a steady stream of accomplishments in terms of their trials. Including an approval from the European Commission for FOTIVDA (tivozanib) treating adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.
AVEO is also expecting results from a study of FOTIVDA in subjects with refractory advanced renal cell carcinoma for US approval in the first quarter of 2018.
Year-to-date the company has seen their share price increase by 443.52 percent.
1. Xoma (NASDAQ:XOMA)
The company uses an alternative strategy by not creating candidates themselves but seeking “transactions where it could exchange cash or equity today for future milestones and royalties.”
As part of their third quarter report to investors Jim Neal, CEO of XOMA said the company was in a position to deliver sustained growth in the years ahead thanks to over a dozen partner-funded programs.
In 2017 the company enjoyed a 656.4 percent increase to its share price.

TSX

3. Oncolytics Biotech (TSX:ONC)
This past year was a transitional one for Oncolytics, as told to INN by Michael Moore, vice president of investor relations and corporate communications for the company.
“As of November 2016, the company was tasked with recreating itself around the same asset and a new understanding of the technology, all with a new management team,” Moore said.
Moore also told INN the big jump for Oncolytics came thanks to the data from a randomized phase 2 trial on metastatic breast cancer for their candidate REOLYSIN. This new proposition worked for the company, pushing its share price up by 167.92 percent year-to-date.
2. Immunovaccine (TSX:IMV)
This company is working on the way we use our immune system for protection against serious diseases. Their DepoVax platform allows the company to work on several working agents.
As explained on its 2017 third quarter financials, the company received clearance from Health Canada on their phase 2 trial investigating DPX-Survivac, mCPA and Merck’s checkpoint inhibitor, pembrolizumab in combination against diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
In 2017 the share price of Immunovaccine went up 267.65 percent.
1. Fennec Pharmaceuticals (TSX:FRX)
Despite its name, Fennec is focused on the biotech business with the development of their lead candidate PEDMARKTM (a unique formulation of sodium thiosulfate (STS)). The company has completed two pediatric phase 3 studies and plans to file for approval of its candidate in 2018.
In its most recent quarterly report, the company announced the data from its SIOPEL 6 study demonstrated the addition of STS “significantly reduces the incidence of cisplatin-induced hearing loss without any evidence of tumor protection.”
Fennec has seen a 351.34 percent increase to its share value so far in 2017.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_LifeScience for real-time news updates.
Securities Disclosure: I, Bryan Mc Govern, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.