5 Top Weekly NASDAQ Biotech Stocks: Aptose Leads this Week

Over the past trading week, the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (INDEXNASDAQ:NBI) decreased 2.62 percent to 3,380 points, as of 1 p.m. EST on Friday (November 2).

A number of large market cap companies saw share price increases last week as well. On Wednesday (October 31), Strongbridge BioPharma (NASDAQ:SBBP) announced two pivotal updates.

The first was a drug acquisition was with Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO), which acquired Strongbridge’s product, MACRILEN (macimorelin). The second was its Q3 2018 financial results which noted a strengthened Q4 cash position, revised revenue guidance and initial revenue after a product launch.

Melinta Therapeutics (NASDAQ:MLNT) also released positive news. The company announced Phase 3 clinical trial results from its approved product Baxdela (delafloxacin) for a new indication, community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP).

Against that backdrop, a number of other NASDAQ biotech stocks saw significant share price increases last week. The five top gainers are as follows:

• Aptose Biosciences (NASDAQ:APTO)
• Trevena (NASDAQ:TRVN)
• Curis (NASDAQ:CRIS)
• Geron (NASDAQ:GERN)
• Aevi Genomic Medicine (NASDAQ:GNMX)

Here’s a closer look at those companies and what moved their share prices. Share prices are quoted in US dollars and are current as of 1 p.m. EST Friday.

Aptose Biosciences

First on our weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks list is Aptose with a 26.11 percent share price increase to $2.53. The company’s focus is to develop oncology therapies without overlapping toxicities, such as negative side effects.

During the past week, Aptose announced which data it will present at the upcoming ASH (American Society of Hematology) annual meeting. In two poster presentations, the company will present exclusive data from CG’806. This may have been the news which spurred this share price increase for the company.

Trevena

On Friday, Trevena announced a complete response letter from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The letter informed the company it could not approve its New Drug Application for its drug Oliceridine. The company is optimistic the drug could be approved in the future and intends to meet with the agency for further dialogue on the application.

A company created to translate Nobel Prize-winning research into groundbreaking medicine, Trevena has a pipeline of pain and migraine drugs. The company’s share price increased 21.40 percent over last week’s trading period to $1.22.

Curis

Curis lands middle on our top NASDAQ biotech stocks lis with a 21.12 percent share price increase to reach $1.89.

The company announced its Q3 2018 earnings results on Thursday (November 1), which likely played a part in the share price increase. From research and development and royalties revenue from products, Curis reported over a 16 percent increase to $2.8 million.

Curis is a biotech developing treatments for cancers, including fimepinostat, which is being investigated in clinical studies in patients with DLBCL and solid tumors. The company receives royalty income from the approved product, Erivedge, which was developed and marketed to Genentech.

Geron 

Geron has one drug in its pipeline, imetelstat, a first-in-class telomerase inhibitor in development for two blood disorders. This week the company announced plans to present at the ASH annual meeting for two oral presentations. Data presented will be from its Phase 1 study of IMerge for Myelodysplastic Syndromes and the primary analysis of IMbark for Myelofibrosis.

Landing fourth on our weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks list, Geron had a 18.59 percent share price increase to $1.67.

Aevi Genomic Medicine

Last on our list is Aevi with an 18.18 percent increase to its share price to reach $1.25. Aevi also released its Q3 2018 financial results and said it will present results from Part A and B of its ASCEND study in January 2019.

The company’s focus is on working with genomic medicine to translate genetic discoveries into novel therapies, such as with AEVI-001. Aside from this trial, the company is also working on treatments for Crohn’s disease and another undisclosed rare pediatric disease.

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

Data for 5 Top weekly NASDAQ Biotech Stocks articles is retrieved each Friday at 1:00 p.m. EST using Globe and Mail’s Stock 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: Correvio Lands on Top

By Gabrielle Lakusta, October 28, 2018

The NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (INDEXNASDAQ:NBI) decreased 6.31 percent over the trading period to 3,297 points, as of 1 p.m. EST on Friday (October 26).

Though the index was down, Trinity Biotech’s (NASDAQ:TRIB) share price was up on Tuesday (October 23). The increase came on the release of its Q3 2018 financial results, noting a revenue drop. Other highlights include: lower cost of sales, cash position and operating profit as compared to Q3 2017. Total revenue also dropped by 7.4 percent.

Zymeworks (NYSE:ZYME; TSX ZYME) also announced a research and licensing deal with LEO Pharma. This marks Zymeworks first dermatology agreement, and the first in which is will use its antibody discovery capabilities.

LEO will keep the rights to develop two biospecific antibodies for dermatology application. Zymeworks will retain the rights to develop antibodies from the collaboration in every other category of therapeutic areas.

Against that backdrop, a number of other NASDAQ biotech stocks saw significant share price increases last week. The five top gainers are as follows:

• Correvio Pharma (NASDAQ:CORV)
• BioLife Solutions (NASDAQ:BLFS)
• XBiotech (NASDAQ:XBIT)
• Sinovac Biotech (NASDAQ:SVA)
• La Jolla Pharma (NASDAQ:LJPC)

Here’s a closer look at those companies and what moved their share prices last week. Share prices are quoted in US dollars and are current as of 1:15 p.m. EST Friday.

Correvio Pharma

Top of our weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks list is Correvio, with a 9.73 percent share price increased to $3.73. Likely what spurred this increase was the company announcing its intention to re-file the new drug application (NDA) for Brinavess in Q2 2019. This news comes after the company met with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a pre-NDA meeting.

This specialty pharmaceutical company is focused on providing quality brands for the needs of acute care physicians and patients. Its commercialized products are distributed throughout 60 countries, while the company continues to develop, acquire and commercialize brands for the same market.

BioLife Solutions

In the biotech space, BioLife Solutions is working on designing preservation solutions for maintaining the viability and health of cellular matter and tissues during freezing, transportation and storage. This is done with the company’s proprietary bio-packaging technology and patented understanding of cellular damage and death. Overall, the developed products help other biotech companies with existing problems in the specified indications.

The company didn’t report any news over the past week, but it did announce exciting news in early-October. From its preliminary Q3 2018 financial results, the company reported a nearly 80 percent increase in revenue. Coming in second on the top weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks list, BioLife’s share price rose 6.21 percent last week to $13.25.

XBiotech

Middle of the list is biosciences company XBiotech, whose weekly share price increase was 4.68 percent to $3.69. On Wednesday (October 26), the company announced the dismissal of securities class action suit. John Simard, CEO of XBiotech, said this was the last “frivolous lawsuit or lawsuit of any kind” pending against the company.

The company is focused on pioneering the discovery, development and commercialization of therapeutics antibodies based on its True Human technology. Some of the antibody therapies in its pipeline are for indications in inflammatory conditions, oncology and infectious diseases.

Sinovac Biotech

On Monday (October 22) Sinovac also announced troubling legal news. The company was granted interim injunctive relief based on a falsified document with fake board member signatures. The document was meant to remove some members of Sinovac Biotech’s directors and to deceive the industry based on the transition.

Sinovac is a China-based company developing vaccines against infectious diseases. Candidates in the company’s pipeline include indications for H5N1 pandemic influenza, H1N1 influenza, hepatitis A and B and more. Fourth on our weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks list, the company had a 4.02 percent share price increase to $7.50.

La Jolla Pharma

Closing out our top weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks list is La Jolla Pharma, which had a 3.94 percent share price increase to $17.16. The company focuses its efforts on treatments for life-threatening diseases and one approved product. Giapreza is the only FDA-approved drug which increases blood pressure for patients with septic or distributive shock.

This past week the company reported its Q3 2018 financial results. As the product was only approved in December 2017, this is the first nine months and Q3 the company has reported revenue. Revenue was $5.8 million for nine months and $3.4 million for the three months over Q3.

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

Data for 5 Top weekly NASDAQ Biotech Stocks articles is retrieved each Friday at 1:00 p.m. EST using Globe and Mail’s Stock 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.