5 Top Weekly NASDAQ Biotech Stocks: MannKind Soars 83 Percent

Over the last trading week, the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (INDEXNASDAQ:NBI) decreased 3.57 percent to 3,699.41 points as of 12:30 p.m. EST on Friday (September 7).

Last week had its fair share of clinical trial updates for investors, starting off the week after Labour Day, Aeglea BioTherapeutics (NASDAQ:AGLE) released news of its clinical trial on September 4.

The update was for its ongoing Phase 1/2 trial of pegzilarginase in patients with a rare genetic disease, Arginase 1 Deficiency (ARG1-D) which released positive interim analysis and surpassed its trial enrollment target.

Although the company’s share price didn’t reflect this news, Aegela is already making plans to set out a trial design for a Phase 2/3 and begin the trial in the first half of 2019.

ProQR (NASDAQ:PRQR), on the other hand, had an impressive share price increase last week thanks to its positive interim results from its ongoing Phase 2/3 trial for an eye disease.

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

• MannKind (NASDAQ:MBOT)
• Evofem Biosciences (NASDAQ:EVFM)
• Arbutus Biopharma (NASDAQ:ABUS)
• Infinity Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:INFI)
• VBI Vaccines (NASDAQ:VBIV)

Here’s a closer look at those companies and what moved their share prices last week. Share prices are quoted in US dollars and were taken from Google Finance at 12:20 p.m. EST on Friday.

MannKind

First on the top weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks list is MannKind. Shares of the company more than tripled last week thanks to a 83.78 percent increase, moving its share price to $1.79. Last week’s hike is likely due to its exclusive license agreement with United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR) announced on Tuesday.

The worldwide licensing and collaboration agreement is to develop a dry powder formulation of treprostinil as a treatment for high blood pressure. Investors following the company may know MannKind has already received approval for another inhalation powder, Afrezza. This collaboration and new product may be just the agreement to take the company to the next level for its pipeline development.

Evofem Biosciences

Second on our top weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks list — and first on last week’s list — is Evofem. This clinical-stage women’s sexual and reproductive health company uses its multi-purpose prevention technology gel to develop product candidates in multiple indications. Some include contraception, prevention of urogenital transmission of some STDs and recurrent bacterial vaginosis.

The company’s most recent update came on August 29 for new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,which showed syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia have climbed in the past four years. This news supports the need for the company’s products on the market, which may combat the rising rate of these STDs.

Evofem’s share price rose 26.72 percent last week to $4.44.

Arbutus Biopharma

Although Arbutus didn’t have any significant news last week, the company’s chief scientific officer, Dr. Michael Sofia, presented at the 2018 B. Riley FBR Healthcare Conference on Tuesday on behalf of the company. Still, this may have been what triggered the 16.67 percent share price increase for the company’s share price to $10.70.

Arbutus is a biopharmaceutical company working on a cure for the chronic Hepatitis B infection (HBV), with nine programs in development. The most advanced trial is for ARB-1467 which is in its Phase 2 trial.

Infinity Pharmaceuticals

Like others on the list, Infinity also didn’t have any big news over the trading week; however , the company did present at three conferences. This may have been what increased Infinity’s share price by 16.43 percent to $2.40.

Infinity is an immuno-oncology focused company working to combine its drug candidate with Bristol-Myers Squibb’s (NYSE:BMY) nivolumab and as a single-therapy. The indications for the mixed drugs include for solid tumors, melanoma, lung cancer and more — the majority of its trials are in Phase 1B clinical trials.

VBI Vaccines

Last on our weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks list is VBI Vaccines, which had a 13 percent share price growth to $2.17. Similar to other companies, VBI Vaccine also presented at a conference last week.

This commercial-stage company is developing a pipeline with immuno-oncology drugs and some for infectious diseases such as HBV, Zika Virus and more. VBI Vaccines uses its eVLP and LPV platforms as foundations to develop and discover its programs.

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 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: Evofem Leads at 48.72 Percent

By Gabrielle Lakusta, September 2, 2018

Last week the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (INDEXNASDAQ:NBI) increased of 2.93 percent to reach 3,838.75 points as of 1:15 p.m. EST on Friday (August 31).

One of the big news stories last week was Insys Therapeutics (NASDAQ:INSY) receiving a positive notice from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that its nasal spray candidate product received fast-track designation. The news comes following the company settling its lawsuit earlier in the month with the US Department of Justice for its part in the opioid crisis.

Later in the week, Enzo Biochem (NYSE:ENZ) acquired a new facility for US$6 million, which expanded its current facility to 101,000 square feet. The company expects significant tax and a range of catalysts for the Farmingdale New York Campus facility, including multi-year tax abatements from the Babylon Industrial Development Agency (IDA).

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

• Evofem Biosciences (NASDAQ:EVFM)
• Galectin Therapeutics (NASDAQ:GALT)
• Sophiris Bio (NASDAQ:SPHS)
• Adverum Biotechnologies (NASDAQ:ADVM)
• Avid Bioservices (NASDAQ:CDMO)

Here’s a closer look at those companies and what moved their share prices last week. Share prices are quoted in US dollars and were taken from Google Finance at 1:36 p.m. EST on Friday.

Evofem Biosciences

At the top of our weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks list last week is Evofem, which increased nearly 50 percent to move the company’s share price to $3.93.

The company reported new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday (August 29), that shows syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia have climbed in the past four years. This news supports the need for the company’s products on the market, which may combat the rising rate of these STDs.

Evofem Biosciences is a clinical-stage women’s sexual and reproductive health company using its multi-purpose prevention technology gel to develop product candidates for multiple indications. Some include contraception, prevention of urogenital transmission of some STDs and recurrent bacterial vaginosis.

Galectin Therapeutics

Galectin is discovering and developing therapies for fibrotic disease and cancer, with its carbohydrate technology that targets galectin proteins. The company’s share price increased 37.56 percent over the last trading week to $6.21.

What may have contributed to this increase was the company releasing news it will present at the H.C. Wainwright Annual Global Investment Conference. The presentation will take place on September 6, 2018, in New York.

Sophiris Bio

Landing middle on our weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks list is Sophiris, with a share price increase of 25.68 percent to $3.20.

Last week, Sophiris shared an update on its Phase 2b localized prostate cancer trial with topsalysin. The company previously reported a patient death in the trial, but the recent news confirmed the death was determined to be unlikely to be related to the drug.

The news of this drug candidate may have been so significant to move the share price, because it’s the company’s only drug candidate. Topsalysin is in Phase 2 clinical development for prostate cancer along with Phase 3 clinical development for the lower urinary tract symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Adverum Biotechnologies

This clinical-stage gene therapy company is working on unmet medical needs in rare and ocular diseases. The company has a variety of biotech product candidates such as ADVM-043 for an A1AT Deficiency.

The company announced on Wednesday its Investigational New Drug application for the FDA is active for the Phase 1 study of ADVM-022 for treating wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD).

This may have been the news which triggered the 23.28 percent increase to Adverum’s share price to $7.56.

Avid Bioservices

The final company to make it on our weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks list is Avid bioservices, a contract development and manufacturing organization company focused on development and cGMP manufacturing of biopharmaceutical products.

Over the previous week the company announced it will exhibit at the 2018 Bioprocess International Conference and Exhibition, and other investor conferences. The company’s share price increased 19.65 percent over the week to reach $7.33.

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 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.