5 Top Weekly NASDAQ Biotech Stocks: PhaseBio Gets Breakthrough Therapy Designation

Unlike the previous period, last week the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (INDEXNASDAQ:NBI) was on the decline, dipping from 3,610.69 points on Monday’s (April 8) open to 3,488.82 points as of 1:56 p.m. EDT on Friday (April 12), representing a 3.29 percent decrease over the week.

April 5 marked former US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb’s last day with the agency. On Tuesday (April 9), Gottlieb spoke with CNBC about his concerns regarding cannabis-related products and the impact they have, health-wise, when consumed frequently.

In terms of small- to mid-cap stocks on the NASDAQ, a number of companies saw impressive gains last week, including:

• Vital Therapies (NASDAQ:VTL)
• Precipio (NASDAQ:PRPO)
• Chimerix (NASDAQ:CMRX)
• ContraFect (NASDAQ:CFRX)
• PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:PHAS)

Here’s a closer look at those companies and what moved their share prices over the week.

Vital Therapies

Vital Therapies is focused on cell-based therapies to treat different forms of liver failure as well as severe alcoholic hepatitis.

The company’s ELAD system is in clinical development for patients with liver failure and in Phase 3 clinical for treating severe alcoholic hepatitis.

On Friday it was revealed that Vital Therapies and Immunic Therapeutics (NASDAQ:IMUX) completed a stock-for-stock exchange and will officially create a new company to treat chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The company will be renamed Immunic and will commence trading on Monday (April 15) under the ticker symbol IMUX.

As a result of the news, shares of Vital Therapies increased 92.7 percent over the week to US$0.87 as of 3:28 p.m. EDT on Friday.

Precipio

Precipio’s technology platform was built with the intention of solving problems related to misdiagnoses.

On Tuesday, the company revealed that it is in negotiations with a manufacturer for its IV-Cell media, which will allow Precipio to advance and commercialize its technology platform.

Shares of Precipio increased 87.86 percent last week to US$0.28 as of 3:22 p.m. EDT on Friday.

Chimerix

Chimerix is focused on developing treatments for patients who have been immunocompromised.

On Monday, the company announced changes to its management team, including the appointment of Michael A. Sherman as the company’s new CEO. Sherman previously served as CEO of Endocryte.

Chimerix had a 33.17 percent bump last week to reach US$2.73 as of 3:29 p.m. EDT on Friday.

ContraFect

ContraFect is working on therapeutic proteins and antibodies for drug-resistant infectious diseases that are life threatening, including influenza and methicillin resistant Staph aureus.

On Monday, ContraFect revealed that its manuscript was published in the most recent “Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy Journal” from the American Society of Microbiology.

Shares of the company increased 30.85 percent last week to US$0.58 as of 3:33 p.m. EDT on Friday.

PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals

PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals is a company developing treatments for orphan diseases.

The company announced on Monday that it has been awarded breakthrough therapy from the FDA for its drug candidate, PB2452, following positive Phase 1 trial results.

Shares of PhaseBio were on the increase last week following the news, rising by 30.48 percent to US$14.47 as of 3:38 p.m. EDT on Friday.

Data for the 5 Top NASDAQ Biotech Stocks articles is retrieved each Friday at 1:00 p.m. EDT using TradingView‘s stock screener. Only companies with a market capitalization greater than $10 million and lower than $500 million prior to the week’s gains are included. Companies within the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors are considered.

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

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

**This article is updated each week. Please scroll to the top for the most recent information**

5 Top Weekly NASDAQ Biotech Stocks: Adma Wins FDA Approval

By Jocelyn Aspa, April 7, 2019

The NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (INDEXNASDAQ:NBI) was in the green again last week, increasing from 3,539.63 points on Monday (April 1) to 3,614.39 points as of 1:21 p.m. EDT on Friday (April 5), which is a 2.06 percent increase over the week.

On Monday, Catalyst Biosciences (NASDAQ:CBIO) received orphan designation from the European Commission for marzeptacog alfa, which is indicated to treat haemophilia B with or without inhibitors.

The Investing News Networkhad the opportunity to speak with the company’s CEO, Nassim Usman, Ph.D., who said, “[marzeptacog] is a big step forward, because it [prevents bleeding] rather than [treats bleeding], which is very hard to do with an intravenous drug.”

Shares of Catalyst Biosciences increased more than 10 percent on Monday following the company’s announcement.

Over the course of the five day trading period, a number of other small- to mid-cap NASDAQ biotech stocks were also on the rise, including:

• Zynerba Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ZYNE)
• Recro Pharma (NASDAQ:REPH)
• Vaccinex (NASDAQ:VCNX)
• Sunesis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:SNSS)
• Adma Biologics (NASDAQ:ADMA)

Here’s a closer look at those companies and what may have triggered share price movement.

Zynerba Pharmaceuticals

Zynerba Pharmaceuticals is a company focused on transdermally delivered cannabinoid treatments for patients with rare and near rare neuropsychiatric conditions. These include addiction, eating disorders, degenerative diseases, mood disorders, neurotic disorders and psychosis.

The company’s lead drug is Zygel, which is currently being tested for effectiveness in treating Fragile X syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder in patients under the age of 21 and a group of rare and ultra rare epilepsies generally known as developmental and epileptic encephalopathies.

On Tuesday (April 2),Zynerba announced that it will be presenting at the HC Wainwright Global Life Sciences Conference, which spearheaded a share price increase over the week despite the presentation not happening until this Tuesday (April 9). The company’s stock rose 61.99 percent last week to US$8.86 as of 2:10 p.m. EDT on Friday.

Recro Pharma

Recro Pharma is a company developing products to treat acute pain. Its lead drug is a proprietary injectable form of meloxicam, which has completed several Phase 2 clinical trials for treating moderate to severe pain. Meloxicam is currently only available in pill form.

On Wednesday (April 3),Recro Pharma announced the restructuring of its acute care segment, which will result in the termination of roughly 50 of the company’s employees. The restructuring comes after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejected its pain treatment for the second time.

Still, shares of the company were up 44.54 percent to US$8.47 as of 2:02 p.m. EST on Friday.

Vaccinex

Vaccinex is a company working on developing therapeutics to treat serious diseases that have unmet medical needs, including neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and autoimmune disorders.

The company has five different products all in various stages of development: pepinemab (VX15/2503), VX18, VX5, BVX20 and the NXT vaccine.

On Monday,the company announced that clinical data presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research is now available on its website. Shares of Vaccinex were up 40.68 percent last week to US$7.04 as of 2:10 p.m. EDT on Friday.

Sunesis Pharmaceuticals

Sunesis Pharmaceuticals is a company that is working on oncology therapeutics. The company has four products in development: vecabrutinib (SNS-062), SNS-510, TAK-580 and Vosaroxin.

On Wednesday,Sunesis also announced it will be presenting at the Needham & Company Annual Healthcare Conference this Wednesday (April 10). Shares of Sunesis were up 36.63 percent last week to US$1.67 as of 2:16 p.m. EDT on Friday.

Adma Biologics

Adma Biologics is a company that is working on solutions for immunodeficient patients who are likely to contract infections. In the company’s product line are Nabi-HB, BIVIGAM and ASCENIV.

On Monday,Adma Biologics announced that the FDA has approved ASCENIV, which is an intravenous immune globulin, to treat adults as well as adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17. The companyfurther announced on Tuesday that it has received its license for ASCENIV from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Over the course of the week, shares of Adma Biologics were unsurprisingly on the increase, rising 29.37 percent to US$5.06 as of 2:27 p.m. EDT on Friday.

Data for the 5 Top NASDAQ Biotech Stocks articles is retrieved each Friday at 1:00 p.m. EST usingTradingView‘s stock screener. 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.

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

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