As my colleague Brendan Conway has noted today, biotech stocks continue to fall today.
ReutersShares of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) have fallen 4.4% to $323.62 at 3:23 p.m., while�Biogen�(BIIB) has dropped 4% to $327.04 and�Gilead Sciences (GILD) has dipped 0.4% to $79.58. The iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index ETF�(IBB), meanwhile, has dropped 0.9% to $258.85 and the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF�(XBI) has declined 0.6% to $160.69. Suffice it to say, biotech investors don’t appear to be enjoying zero-G nearly as much as Kate Upton.
Amidst the selling, however, reports have emerged that Gilead’s sales of Sovaldi continue to look, well, impressive. Citigroup’s Yaron Werber explains:
Sovaldi is tracking at $943M for the first twelve weeks of launch and could post $8.76B in sales for 2014 and $1.59B for Q1:14 vs. Citi $516M and Consensus $903M, if Sovaldi scrips continue at same level as the recent week without any growth. We anticipate that Sovaldi could materially exceed our and consensus ests and believe that posting >$5B in total sales in FY14 is possible. In the twelfth week of launch, Sovaldi�� weekly TRx were 6,398. While this is only the twelfth week, it is still much ahead of protease inhibitor Incivek��launch which had 1,928 TRx in the twelfth week of launch.
10 Best Insurance Stocks For 2015: Regulus Therapeutics Inc (RGLS)
Regulus Therapeutics Inc., incorporated on September 5, 2007, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing microRNAs to treat a range of diseases. microRNAs are naturally occurring ribonucleic acid (RNA), molecules that play a critical role in regulating key biological pathways. The Company uses its microRNA product platform to develop chemically modified, single-stranded oligonucleotides that the Company calls anti-miRs. As of December 31, 2012, the Company�� operations included acquiring and in-licensing intellectual property rights, developing its microRNA, undertaking basic research around microRNA targets and conducting preclinical studies for its initial programs.
The Company is developing RG-101 for the treatment of HCV and is advancing other microRNA therapeutics toward clinical development in several areas, including oncology, fibrosis and metabolic diseases. The Company intends to focus its resources on product opportunities in therapeutic areas where development and commercialization activities are appropriate for its size and financial resources, which the Company anticipates will include niche indications and orphan diseases.
The Company competes with Groove Biopharma, Inc., miRagen Therapeutics, Inc., Mirna Therapeutics, Inc., and Santaris Pharma A/S.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sean Williams]
A blast to the past
It's occasionally very difficult to value biotech stocks, because of the wide range of outcomes possible given their pipelines. Other times, as in the case with Regulus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: RGLS ) , I bang my head against a table and wonder what the heck investors are thinking.
Best Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Savient Pharmaceuticals Inc(SVNT)
Savient Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing KRYSTEXXA, a biologic PEGylated uricase in the United States. The KRYSTEXXA is being developed as a treatment for chronic gout in patients refractory to conventional therapy. The company also sells and distributes branded and generic versions of oxandrolone, a drug used to promote weight gain following involuntary weight loss. It sells its products directly to drug wholesalers. The company, formerly known as Bio-Technology General Corp. and changed its name to Savient Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in June 2003. Savient Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in East Brunswick, New Jersey.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By James E. Brumley]
Since 2008's implosion from the stock, the interest in Savient Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:SVNT) has been waning. There was a brief burst of bullishness in September of last year, which stirred the bullish pot a little. But, when SVNT started to fade in October of that year - just as quickly as it had perked up - what lingering hopes there were for the stock finally started to melt away. By the middle of this year, pretty much everyone had written Savient Pharmaceuticals off as a lost cause. Big mistake. Over the last few days, SVNT has almost wiggled its way buck into a bullish zone.
- [By James E. Brumley]
It's still too soon to say Savient Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:SVNT) is off and running. In fact, the stock's decidedly NOT off and running yet. But, it's not too soon to put SVNT on your watchlist of potential breakout candidates, as it's much closer to a breakout than most anyone can see.
Best Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Prothena Corporation PLC (PRTA)
Prothena Corporation PLC, incorporated on September 26, 2012, is an Ireland-based, clinical-stage biotechnology company. The Company is engaged in discovering and developing monoclonal antibodies that are directed towards misfolded proteins or improper cell adhesion. Its pipeline includes NEOD001, PRX002 and PRX003. The Company�� work in protein misfolding could result in therapies to treat several neurodegenerative diseases, including AL (primary) and AA (secondary) forms of amyloidosis (NEOD001), Parkinson's disease and related synucleinopathies (PRX002). Its cell adhesion development activities could generate new therapies to treat inflammatory diseases and metastatic cancers (PRX003). The Company�� program, NEOD001, is in Phase 1. In addition to antibodies directed to neo-epitope targets, it is developing antibodies directed to other targets. The Company has generated antibodies against cell adhesion targets expressed on certain pathogenic Th17 immune cells and tumor cells.
The Company�� pipeline also includes several late discovery stage programs for which it is testing antibodies in preclinical models of disease. It is also generating additional antibodies against other targets involved in protein misfolding and cell adhesion for characterization in vivo and in vitro.
NEOD001 for Amyloidosis
NEOD001 is a monoclonal antibody that targets the amyloid that accumulates in both AL and AA forms of amyloidosis. The antibody was designed to not react with normal serum amyloid A and only with the aberrant cleaved form of the protein (amyloid A).
PRX002 for Parkinson�� Disease
The Company has generated antibodies targeting alpha-synuclein that may slow or reduce the neurodegeneration associated with synuclein misfolding and/or transmission. It has tested these antibodies in various cellular and animal models of synuclein-related disease. In a transgenic mouse model of Parkinson�� disease, passive immunization with 9E4, a murine ver! sion of PRX002, reduced the appearance of synuclein pathology, protected synapses and improved performance by the mice in behavioral testing. The humanized antibody product candidate PRX002 has advanced into manufacturing and preclinical testing.
PRX003 for Inflammatory Diseases and Cancers
The Company is developing PRX003, a monoclonal antibody targeting MCAM for the potential treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancers. It has generated monoclonal antibodies that block MCAM-mediated cell adhesion and have been shown to delay relapse and severity of relapse in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis known as experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. The Company�� antibodies are being tested in animal models of inflammatory diseases and cancers. Based on early results from these studies, it has identified a clinical candidate, PRX003. It has advanced this antibody into manufacturing and intends to advance this antibody into preclinical testing.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Prothena Corporation (NASDAQ: PRTA) shares were down as well, falling 28.00 percent to $27.13 after the company released some materials from its coming symposium presentation.
- [By Lisa Levin]
Prothena Corporation plc (NASDAQ: PRTA) rose 24.40% to $46.23 after the company reported clinical data to be presented at International Symposium on Amyloidosis. Morgan Stanley raised the price target on the stock from $35.00 to $53.00.
- [By Lisa Levin]
Prothena Corporation plc (NASDAQ: PRTA) shares surged 23.52% to touch a new 52-week high of $45.90 after the company reported clinical data to be presented at International Symposium on Amyloidosis. Morgan Stanley raised the price target on the stock from $35.00 to $53.00.
Best Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Incyte Corporation(INCY)
Incyte Corporation focuses on the discovery and development of proprietary small molecule drugs for hematologic and oncology indications, and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Its product pipe line includes INCB18424, which is in Phase III clinical trial for myelofibrosis; Phase III trial for polycythemia vera; Phase III trial for essential thrombocythemia; Phase I/II trial to treat solid tumors/other hematologic malignancies; and Phase IIb trail for the treatment of psoriasis. The company?s portfolio also includes INCB28050, a Phase IIb clinical trial product for rheumatoid arthritis; INCB28060, a Phase I/II product for solid tumors; INCB7839, a Phase II product for breast cancer; and INCB24360, a Phase I/II product for solid tumors. It has a collaborative research and license agreements with Novartis International Pharmaceutical Ltd.; Eli Lilly and Company; and Pfizer Inc. The company was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Maxx Chatsko]
Pfizer will turn its immediate focus to Xeljanz, a novel JAK3 inhibitor, as it awaits phase 3 data from ertugliflozin several years from now. The drug class has swept the pharmaceutical industry by storm. Novartis (NYSE: NVS ) and Eli Lilly are developing JAK1 and JAK2 inhibitors for several applications with Incyte (NASDAQ: INCY ) , while a handful of other companies have molecules of their own. While companies have high hopes for the cancer-fighting potential of JAK inhibitors, such as Jakafi from Novartis and Incyte, the biggest opportunities may lie in the immunology market.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Sure Intercept Pharmaceuticals (ICPT) might feel like the only biotech stock that matters today, but there are others. For instance, Incyte (INCY) and� BioMarin (BMRN) are on the move after Barclays changed its ratings on the pair.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Somaiya and team named Gilead and�Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX) their top picks, hile putting Buy ratings on Celgene, Biogen Idec, Alexion (ALXN), Incyte (INCY), Pharmacyclics (PCYC) and Synageva (GEVA). BioMarin (BMRN), Infinity Pharmaceuticals (INFI) and Amgen (AMGN) earned Neutral ratings.
Best Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Exelixis Inc.(EXEL)
Exelixis, Inc., a biotechnology company, develops small molecule therapies for the treatment of cancer. It focuses on developing Cabozantinib, an inhibitor of tumor growth, metastasis, and angiogenesis that target MET, VEGFR2, and RET, which are key kinases involved in the development and progression of various cancers. The cabozantinib is in Phase III clinical trial for the treatment for medullary thyroid cancer. The company also engages in various clinical programs for cabozantinib focused on the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, renal cell carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, hepatocellular cancer, and melanoma. In addition, Exelixis, Inc. involves in developing a portfolio of other novel compounds to address serious unmet medical needs through collaborations with various pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, sanofi-aventis, Genentech, Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim Gm bH, and GlaxoSmithKline and Daiichi Sankyo Company Limited. Its products under development through collaborations include XL475, XL281, XL139, and XL413 inhibitors; ROR antagonists; therapies targeted against LXR, a nuclear hormone receptor implicated in various cardiovascular and metabolic disorders; XL147, XL765, and isoform-selective PI3K inhibitors; XL518, a small-molecule inhibitor of MEK; sphingosine-1-phosphate type 1 receptor; XL880 inhibitor; and therapies targeted against the mineralocorticoid receptor, a nuclear hormone receptor implicated in various cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. The company was formerly known as Exelixis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and changed its name to Exelixis, Inc. in February 2000. Exelixis, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in South San Francisco, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sean Williams]
High-risk, high-reward suggestions
Exelixis (NASDAQ: EXEL ) : In November Exelixis had its first drug, known as Cometriq, approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat metastatic medullary thyroid cancer. Although the market for this disease is pretty small -- somewhere between 500 and 700 people in the U.S. -- the near-tripling in progression-free survival, or PFS, in trials would indicate to me a strong likelihood that it could translate to success in other cancer types. In mid-stage prostate cancer trials, for instance, Cometriq was found to be particularly effective in dealing with bone metastases as a second or third-line treatment. We won't get any additional data until next year on Cometriq, but positive data on the prostate cancer front could be enough to double its share price if the PFS, compared to the placebo, is notably strong. ImmunoGen (NASDAQ: IMGN ) : In February, Roche�and ImmunoGen received approval for Kadcyla as a secondary treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer. This is ImmunoGen's first drug approval, and it gives the company a chance to showcase what I feel is one of the future pathways of fighting cancer -- its targeted-antibody payload, or TAP, technology. ImmunoGen's TAP technology works by attaching a toxin -- in this case Roche's Herceptin -- to an antibody, and teaching that antibody to release the to
There's an undeniably large dollar amount being pledged to cancer research, but, even if a drug gains approval, that's no guarantee that the biotech or pharmaceutical company behind that drug will be a success. Some of the biggest gains (and losses) come from taking a leap of faith based on clinical data, or the approval of one or two drugs or devices within a pipeline. After that, it's all up to the drug or devices' effectiveness, its pricing, and the success of the marketing teams promoting the drug or device. Here are a few high-risk, high-reward names you should be keeping your eye on.
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