Biotech Alert: Searches spiking for these stocks today

These names in the biotech sector are seeing a substantial increase in search activity today, as determined by InvestingChannel. They include: 

• Heron Therapeutics (HRTX), 127% surge in interest
• Biomarin Pharmaceuticals (BMRN), 108% surge in interest
• Tiziana Life Sciences (TLSA), 96% surge in interest
• Seres Therapeutics (MCRB), 86% surge in interest
• Viking Therapeutics (VKTX), 64% surge in interest
• X4 Pharmaceuticals (XFOR), 62% surge in interest

Pipeline and key clinical candidates for these companies:

Heron Therapeutics is a commercial-stage biotechnology company that says it is developing “novel, patient-focused solutions that apply its innovative science and technologies to already-approved pharmacological agents for patients suffering from pain or cancer.”

BioMarin is a biotechnology company “dedicated to transforming lives through genetic discovery.” The company develops and commercializes targeted therapies that address the root cause of genetic conditions. BioMarin’s robust research and development capabilities have resulted in multiple innovative commercial therapies for patients with rare genetic disorders, the company says.

Tiziana Life Sciences is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that says its “innovative nasal approach has the potential to provide an improvement in efficacy as well as safety and tolerability compared to intravenous delivery.” Tiziana’s lead candidate, intranasal foralumab, is the only fully human anti-CD3 mAb, according to the company, which adds that it has “demonstrated a favorable safety profile and clinical response in patients in studies to date.”

Seres Therapeutics is a microbiome therapeutics company developing a novel class of multifunctional bacterial consortia that are designed to functionally interact with host cells and tissues to treat disease. Seres’ SER-109 program achieved “the first-ever positive pivotal clinical results for a targeted microbiome drug candidate,” according to the company, and has obtained Breakthrough Therapy and Orphan Drug designations from the FDA. The SER-109 program is being advanced to prevent further recurrences of C. difficile infection. Seres is evaluating SER-155 in a Phase 1b study in patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to reduce incidences of gastrointestinal infections, bloodstream infections and graft-versus-host disease as well as additional preclinical stage programs targeting Infection Protection in medically compromised patients.

Viking Therapeutics is focused on the development of novel first-in-class or best-in-class therapies for the treatment of metabolic and endocrine disorders. The company’s clinical programs include VK2809, a novel, orally available, small molecule selective thyroid hormone receptor beta agonist for the treatment of lipid and metabolic disorders, which is currently being evaluated in a Phase 2b study for the treatment of biopsy-confirmed non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH, and fibrosis.

X4 Pharmaceuticals is focused on the discovery and development of novel therapies for people with diseases of the immune system. The company’s lead clinical candidate is mavorixafor, a small molecule antagonist of chemokine receptor CXCR4 that is being developed as an oral, once-daily therapy.

Recent news on these stocks:

April 25

Tiziana Life Sciences announced for the first time, quantitative data showing improvement in White Matter Z-scores measured from PET images taken at 3 months in nasal foralumab treated patients with non-active secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. White Matter Z-scores are a statistical measure used in neuroimaging studies to assess the integrity or abnormalities in structures of the brain.

April 24

BioMarin reported better-than-expected Q1 adjusted earnings per share, though quarterly revenue just missed Wall Street estimates. The company also raised its FY24 EPS guidance, though it maintained its revenue outlook for the year.

Viking Therapeutics also reported upbeat Q1 earnings per share, with CEO Brian Lian calling the quarter “exceptional.” “During the quarter, the company reported positive top-line results from the Phase 2 VENTURE study of subcutaneous VK2735 in obesity and encouraging initial data from a Phase 1 study of our novel tablet formulation of this compound,” Lian said. “We plan to meet with regulators to discuss the path forward for both programs and expect to advance each into further development later this year. In addition, in the first quarter we completed the 52-week biopsies for the Phase 2b VOYAGE study of our thyroid hormone beta receptor agonist VK2809 in biopsy-confirmed NASH and fibrosis. As we’ve previously reported, this study successfully achieved its primary endpoint after 12 weeks of treatment and affirmed VK2809’s potent effect on liver fat, along with its favorable tolerability and safety profile. We plan to report data on histologic changes assessed after 52 weeks of treatment later this quarter. Finally, during the first quarter, the company completed a public offering of common stock, raising approximately $630 million of gross proceeds to aggressively develop our pipeline programs through important clinical milestones.”

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About “Biotech Alert”

The Fly will report on a selection of biotech stocks seeing a surge in interest from retail and financial professional investors, based on data from InvestingChannel.

This Fly exclusive recap reveals the biotech stocks that are seeing a spike in searches among the 20-plus million retail and financial professional investors through InvestingChannel’s online financial news media ecosystem.

This increased attention from the investors may be in response to, or advance of, outsized moves for stocks in the biotech sector, which tend to be volatile and prone to sharp swings in share price around binary events such as clinical study results and FDA approvals.