With hundreds of biotech stocks on the market, who can keep up with them all? Probably no one. What happens as a result is that usually only the biggest biotechs (or the small biotechs getting bought by the biggest biotechs) get a lot of coverage.But sometimes those aren’t the stocks to watch most closely.
You might not have heard too much about Akebia Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AKBA), BioMarin Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ:BMRN), and Idera Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IDRA). These are three biotech stocks that you could be overlooking — but deserve your attention. Here’s why.
Image source: Getty Images.
Akebia Therapeutics: Altitude matters
If you’ve ever gone mountain climbing, you probably noticed some effects on your body as you ascended. Akebia’s niche is developing drugs that mimic those effects by inhibiting hypoxia inducible factor-prolyl hydroxylase (HIF-PH). HIF-PH inhibitors canincrease red blood cell (RBC) production and improve stabilization of the bone marrow’s iron supply.
Top 10 Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: ArQule Inc.(ARQL)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Paul Ausick]
ArQule Inc. (NASDAQ: ARQL) dropped about 23% Friday, to post a new 52-week low of $1.13 after closing at $1.47 on Thursday. The stock’s 52-week high is $2.17. Volume was about 15 times the daily average of around 150,000 shares. The biopharmaceutical company said this morning that a phase 3 trial of a cancer drug did not meet the primary endpoint of improving overall survival.
Top 10 Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Medivation Inc.(MDVN)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Well, it looks like Medivation (MDVN) now has five suitors after reports that Amgen (AMGN) is joining Pfizer (PFE), Sanofi (SNY), AstraZeneca (AZN) and Novartis (NVS) in considering a bid. Maxim’s Jason Kolbert and Jason McCarthy offer their thoughts:
Medivation reports tonight at 4:30pm…
We expect the focus to be on the recent proposals from Sanofi (SNY $38.75- NR); Pfizer (PFE $33.40 -NR), AstraZeneca (AZN $28.26-NR) and just today, Amgen (AMGN – $154.18 – NR)…
Medivation is returning to new highs as suitors line up to make acquisition bids. In this scenario what is the right discount rate for modeling purposes?
We believe our model for Xtandi revenues is good, therefore we review our risk rating and determine the following: 30% = $47 15% = $76 10% = $99
With Medivation’s board having now said No to anything less than $65 per share, it suggests to us that the stability and predictability of Xtandi’s revenues is greater than we thought, the risk is lower. Our intermediate risk rating is 15% or $76 fair value.
Shares of Medivation rose 0.3% to $59.22 today, while Pfizer gained 0.5% to $33.56, Sanofi fell 0.5% to $39.07, AstraZeneca dropped 0.6% to $39.07, Novartis declined 0.3% to $74.12, and Amgen ticked up 0.1% to $154.25.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
RBC’s Simos Simeonidis and Matthew Eckler try to find the right comparison for Pfizer’s (PFE) purchase of Medivation (MDVN):
Scott Eisen/Bloomberg News
We were obviously wrong with our Sector Perform rating: while we knew an M&A transaction was definitely a good possibility, we just could not get to this level of valuation using a realistic Xtandi model and thus could not recommend the stock. The only way for us to get to $81.50 (or even to $60-$70/share) would have been to assign very significant value to talazoparib. And we could not do that given the amount of available clinical evidence.Medivation shareholders who held on to their shares past the $50′s, did just that, were proven right and are now rewarded for it, since they believed that someone would be willing to pay for this asset just months ahead of Phase III data. The key question is why would a company be willing to part with what they claim/think may be a multibillion dollar drug that works in multiple cancers. We believe the obvious answer is because they’re smart and understand drug development risk better than most. We’ll know in a matter of months whether Pfizer/Medivation is like Amgen (AMGN)-Onyx (carfilzomib) or not.
- [By Monica Gerson]
Medivation Inc (NASDAQ: MDVN) is said to have spurned recent takeover approach from France’s Sanofi SA (ADR) (NYSE: SNY), according to sources as reported by Bloomberg on Tuesday. Sanofi wants Medivation’s treatments for hard-to-cure cancers, the sources said. Medivation shares surged 8.46 percent to $49.60 in the after-hours trading session, while Sanofi shares fell 0.59 percent to $42.02 in after-hours trading.
Top 10 Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.(ALNY)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Yesterday, after markets closed, it was announced that US Federal District Court Judge Sue Robinson ruled to issue a permanent injunction against Praluent, the PCSK9 mAb for hypercholesterolemia from partners Regeneron and Sanofi, due to infringement of patents from Amgen. The court has imposed a 30-day suspension (stay) on the injunction to allow for settlement or appeal of the District Court decision. Sanofi and Regeneron have announced their intent to appeal the ruling to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC). The injunction decision is consistent with our counter-consensus published views communicated on 25 January 2016 (“Downgrade to Sell on evidence of likely infringement of Amgen’s PCSK9 patents”) and subsequently. Based on consultation with expert legal counsel, we now put >75% probability Amgen will prevail on appeal and/or Praluent is ultimately removed from the US market, and/or Amgen achieves a settlement substantially in its favor. We currently model $3.3 bn in non-risk-adjusted 2022E US revenues for Praluent, while consensus models $1.2 bn in 2022E US revenues. We reiterate our view from 25 January 2016 to preferentially own Amgen, The Medicines Company (MDCO) (Buy), and Alnylam (ALNY) (Buy) over Regeneron for exposure to PCSK9 inhibitor market dynamics as outcomes trials approach.
- [By Cory Renauer]
Treating diseases that have a genetic component by altering the expression of the responsible genes is a promising new field of medicine, but it has been much less straightforward than biopharmaceutical companies had expected. Two contenders in this area, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY) and Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS), saw a mix of setbacks and success in 2016.
- [By Lisa Levin]
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALNY) shares shot up 53 percent to $114.87 after the company impressed investors with encouraging data from a phase 3 clinical trial. Alnylam, a company dedicated towards treating a wide range of debilitating diseases through ribonucleic acid (RNA) interference (RNAi) therapeutics, said after Tuesday's market close that a phase 3 study called APOLLO met its primary efficacy endpoint and all secondary endpoints.
- [By Brian Orelli]
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY) jumped as much as 14.5% today after announcing earnings after the bell yesterday. As a development-stage biotech, it wasn’t the revenue or the earnings that caused the spike, but the progression of Allnylam’s pipeline.
- [By Chris Dier-Scalise]
On Thursday, the Vetr crowd downgraded Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALNY) from 4.5 stars (Strong Buy), which was issued two days ago, to 3.5 stars (Hold). Crowd sentiment for Alnylam at the time of the downgrade was edging positive, with 66 percent of Vetr user rating bullish.
Top 10 Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Biogen Idec Inc(BIIB)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Brian Orelli]
While that’s fine for clinical trials, it may make it difficult for Ionis’ drugs to compete with drugs that work as well but don’t have side effects that need to be monitored. Of course, for Spinraza, which Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB) and Ionis recently got approved for spinal muscular atrophy, side effects aren’t an issue because there aren’t any other treatment options at the moment.
- [By WWW.THESTREET.COM]
Breakups have the potential to create a lot of value. Just look at what Biogen (BIIB) did with its hemophilia franchise. Spun out as Bioverativ (BIVV) , shares started trading earlier this year. The stock has climbed some 23% on seemingly no news, Cramer noted.
- [By Chris Lange]
The S&P 500 stock posting the largest daily percentage loss ahead of the close Thursday was Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) which traded down 4.6% at $279.08. The stocks 52-week range is $223.02 to $333.65. Volume was 3.4 million versus the daily average of 1.6 million shares.
- [By WWW.MONEYSHOW.COM]
Biogen (BIIB)
Biogen discovers, develops and delivers innovative therapies for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and autoimmune disorders.
- [By Todd Campbell]
A new and highly anticipated study byCelgene Corp. (NASDAQ:CELG) shows that its promising multiple sclerosis drug could soon reshape the $19 billion multiple sclerosis market. On Friday, management reported that ozanimod met its primary endpoint for reducing MS relapses better than Biogen Inc.’s (NASDAQ:BIIB) Avonex, and importantly, it did so without any new safety risks.
- [By Chris Lange]
Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) had its short interest increase to 2.63 million shares from the previous 2.36 million. The stock closed Friday at $305.20, within a 52-week range of $223.02 to $333.65.
Top 10 Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Amgen Inc.(AMGN)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Maxx Chatsko]
Shares of Radius Health (NASDAQ:RDUS) rose over 20% Monday morning after Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) announced worrisome complications were discovered during a phase 3 trial for its osteoporosis drug candidate, Evenity. While the drug candidate met its primary endpoint in a more than 4,000-patient phase 3 study, a high rate of serious heart-related side effects were discovered. The drug was previously expected to gain marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in July, but that decision will now be delayed by up to a year or more, if the drug is approved at all.
- [By Chris Lange]
Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) is expected to report its most recent quarterly results on Wednesday. The consensus estimates call for $3.00 in EPS and $5.61 billion in revenue. Shares closed trading at $160.41 on Friday, in a 52-week range of $133.64 to $184.21. The consensus price target is $185.13.
- [By Johanna Bennett]
Shares of Amgen (AMGN) led the drop in the S&P 500 today falling almost 6.4% to close at $168.61 after the drug maker unveiledlong-awaited data on its anti-cholesterol drug Repatha.
Can shares of Amgen rebound from todays selloff?
Yes, is the answer from RBC Capital Management analyst Michael Yee. He argues that the drug makers share price can grind back up if access to Repatha increases over the next few quarters. Earlier today, Amgen released data from an outcome study that missed expectations, leading some analyst to predict that health plans will continue to restrict access to the drug.
As Yee writes:
A number of key developments midday at the ACC conference that should shed increased confidence that Repatha reimbursement and utilization will continue to increase over time driving a new growth driver for AMGN and increased confidence in a new product cycle. If reimbursement does start to open up over next few quarters (tracking IMS scripts and other datapoints) and AMGN manages their execution on quarters/guidance – stock should recover off today’s overreaction reflecting high expectations
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Three biotech stocks–Alexion Pharmaceuticals (ALXN), Amgen (AMGN), and Celgene (CELG)–reported earnings since yesterday’s close. But just one has seen its shares head higher after the announcement.
- [By Stavros Georgiadis]
Gilead Sciences (NSDQ:GILD) has underperformed the market with its stock price down almost 25% compared to a 10.33% gain in Nasdaq Composite (INDX:COMPX) and 14.60% gain of Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDX:INDU). Gilead and Amgen (NSDQ:AMGN)have had a very tough year, so it is interesting to know if now is the time to invest in GILD stock, not from a bottom fishing point of investing, which is often too risky, but on some solid financial and fundamentals arguments.
Top 10 Biotech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: ARIAD Pharmaceuticals Inc.(ARIA)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Lisa Levin]
Healthcare shares gained around 0.73 percent in trading on Monday. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Ariad Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARIA), and VCA Inc (NASDAQ: WOOF).
