18 Biotech Stocks These Wall Street Analysts Are Tracking

In a report published Tuesday, Leerink analyst Alice Avanian commented that "binary events" in healthcare can be key determinants of performance and that the upcoming Supreme Court decision is an "overhang" for hospital stocks.

Here is a list of 18 companies the analyst is tracking and why:

• Acorda Therapeutics Inc ACOR investors should remain cautious in the near term as the Ampyra lifecycle debate continues.
• Shares of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ALNY will likely continue appreciated as clinical catalysts further de-risk its RNAi pipeline.
• Biogen Idec Inc BIIB may have the first successful disease-modifying drug for Alzheimer's.
• BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.'s BMRN data in late second quarter could provide an important proof of concept with a mid-2015 FDA AdCom for drisapersen.
• Shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb Co BMY are recommended ahead of CHECKMATE-057 (2nd-line non-squamous NSCLC) and -025 (2nd-line kidney cancer) data.
• Clovis Oncology Inc CLVS is expected to report updated results from rociletinib (NSCLC) around ASCO in mid-2015.
• Exelixis, Inc. EXEL is expected to report top-line METEOR Phase III data in renal cell carcinoma in the second quarter.
• Genomic Health, Inc. GHDX could receive a positive draft coverage from Medicare contractor Palmetto in mid-2015.
• GW Pharmaceuticals PLC GWPH will release additional Epidiolex data at the American Academy of Neurology that should inform development in other orphan epilepsies.
• HeartWare International Inc HTWR will release two-year data from ENDURANCE trial in April.
• Immune Design Corp IMDZ is expected to release single-agent trials for G305 and LV305 (data at ASCO) as well as combo study data by year-end 2015.
• Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc KPTI is expected to release solid tumor updates at ASCO (May 29 through June 6) which should highlight selinexor's multiple shots on goal.
• Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. MRTX will release proof-of-concept data for MGCD265 (NSCLC, lung cancer) in mid-2015.
• Puma Biotechnology Inc PBYI will comment on its Phase 3 ExteNET data for neratinib (adjuvant HER2+ breast cancer) at ASCO (May 29 through June 6) which may help address carcinogenicity concerns.
• Uniqure NV's QURE third quarter is expected to be a major inflection point with data on both Hemophilia B and Sanfilippo B.
• Theravance Inc's THRX FDA AdCom (March 19) for Breo in asthma will likely be positive.
• Wright Medical Group Inc's WMGI upcoming catalyst include Augment approval (second quarter 2014) and closing of the Tornier NV acquisition (second half 2015).
• Zimmer Holdings, Inc. ZMH 2015 performance will be tied to the pending closing of the Biomet deal which may be approved late first quarter 2015.