The Daily Biotech Pulse: Flexion Receives FDA Nod For Zilretta Label Expansion, Astellas Goes Shopping


20-Year Pro Trader Reveals His "MoneyLine"

Ditch your indicators and use the "MoneyLine." A simple line tells you when to buy and sell without the guesswork. It’s a line on a chart that’s helped Nic Chahine win 83% of his options buys. Here's how he does it.


The following is a roundup of top developments in the biotech space over the last 24 hours. 

Scaling The Peaks

(Biotech stocks that hit 52-week highs on Dec. 26.)

  • Aimmune Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:AIMT)
  • Allergan plc (NYSE:AGN)
  • Applied Genetic Technologies Corp (NASDAQ:AGTC)
  • Aprea Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:APRE)
  • Arvinas Inc (NASDAQ:ARVN)
  • Ascendis Pharma A/S (NASDAQ:ASND)
  • Audentes Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:BOLD)
  • Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:AUPH)
  • Avenue Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:ATXI)
  • Axsome Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:AXSM)
  • Cassava Sciences Inc (NASDAQ:SAVA)
  • Clearside Biomedical Inc (NASDAQ:CLSD)
  • Cue Biopharma Inc (NASDAQ: CUE
  • Dermira Inc (NASDAQ:DERM)
  • DURECT Corporation (NASDAQ:DRRX)
  • Eiger Biopharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:EIGR)
  • Esperion Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:ESPR)
  • Exagen Inc (NASDAQ:XGN)
  • Fortress Biotech (NASDAQ:FBIO)
  • Fulcrum Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:FULC)
  • Global Blood Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:GBT)
  • Horizon Therapeutics PLC (NASDAQ:HZNP)
  • IGM Biosciences Inc (NASDAQ:IGMS)
  • Immunomedics, Inc. (NASDAQ:IMMU) (announced resubmission of BLA for sacituzumab govitecan for the treatment of metastatic triple-negative breast cancer)
  • Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IRWD)
  • Jounce Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:JNCE)
  • Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:KPTI)
  • Kodiak Sciences Inc (NASDAQ:KOD)
  • Mirati Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:MRTX)
  • Molecular Templates Inc (NASDAQ:MTEM)
  • Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:MNTA)
  • Myokardia Inc (NASDAQ:MYOK)
  • NeoGenomics, Inc. (NASDAQ:NEO)
  • NewLink Genetics Corp (NASDAQ:NLNK)
  • Novan Inc (NASDAQ:NOVN)
  • Oncolytics Biotech, Inc. (NASDAQ:ONCY)
  • Ovid Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:OVID)
  • Oyster Point Pharma Inc (NASDAQ:OYST)
  • Phathom Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:PHAT)
  • Profound Medical Corp (NASDAQ:PROF)
  • Recro Pharma Inc (NASDAQ:REPH)
  • SpringWorks Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:SWTX)
  • Synthorx Inc (NASDAQ:THOR)
  • TG Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:TGTX)
  • XOMA Corp (NASDAQ:XOMA)
  • Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc (NYSE:ZBH)

Down In The Dumps

(Biotech stocks that hit 52-week lows on Dec. 26.)

  • Akorn, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKRX)
  • Ekso Bionics Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:EKSO)
  • MediciNova, Inc. (NASDAQ:MNOV)
  • Stealth BioTherapeutics Corp (NASDAQ:MITO)
  • Ritter Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:RTTR)
  • Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPPI) (announced negative Phase 2 data for investigational drug to treat non-small cell lung cancer patients with a particular mutation)
  • Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:SBPH) (announced halting of a mid-phase study of hepatitis B virus therapy due to liver injury)

Stocks In Focus

Flexion's Zilretta Granted Label Expansion For Osteoarthritis Knee Pain

Flexion Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:FLXN) said the FDA approved its sNDA for a label expansion for Zilretta in osteoarthritis knee pain.

"ZILRETTA is an invaluable non-opioid option for managing chronic OA knee pain, and it is encouraging to see a new product label that better informs clinical decision making," Dr. John Richmond, a clinician, said in a statement. 

Originally, the FDA had set a PDUFA action date of Oct. 14, which was extended by three months.

The stock was trading 24.85% higher at $23.94 in Friday's premarket session. 

Astellas Buys Immuno-Oncology Company Xyphos For Up To $665M

Japanese pharma company Astellas Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ:ALPMY) announced the acquisition of privately held Xyphos Biosciences, which will give the former access to the latter's proprietary ACCEL tech platform, as well as immuno-oncology talent to help develop new ways to mobilize, target and control immune cells.

"The innovative technology in development at Xyphos fits perfectly in advancing our immuno-oncology strategy to create and deliver value for patients," Astellas CEO Kenji Yasukawa said in a statement. 

"Combining this technology with our capabilities in cell therapy that we have been working on so far, we can create next-generation high-function cells and maximize the value of our technology."

With the $120 million paid by Astellas at the time of closing and the potential future development milestone payments, the deal is valued at up to $665 million.

Related Links:

10 Biotech M&A Targets Under The Scanner For 2020

A Perspective On Biopharma's Record M&A Run In 2019


20-Year Pro Trader Reveals His "MoneyLine"

Ditch your indicators and use the "MoneyLine." A simple line tells you when to buy and sell without the guesswork. It’s a line on a chart that’s helped Nic Chahine win 83% of his options buys. Here's how he does it.


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