10 Healthcare Stocks That Thrived In 2020

Many of the best stocks in 2020 were healthcare companies focused on two disease areas: trying to stop the spread of COVID-19 and improving survival rates from deadly diseases. Their scientific achievements have been nothing less than extraordinary.

Looking at healthcare companies with market caps above $200 million from the beginning of the year until December 1^st, these are the top ten that delivered highest returns during the unprecedented pandemic that caused nothing less than an economic turmoil.

Novavax

Novavax NVAX is a vaccine specialist with two potential blockbuster drugs in its pipeline: one for influenza and another for COVID-19. Back in March, the company reported positive phase 3 data from its flu shot candidate, Nano-Flu, and it is currently undergoing pivotal trials of its COVID-19 candidate with data expected in the first quarter of 2021.

Vaxart

like NVAX, Vaxart VXRT also went from micro-cap to small-cap in 2020 due to its own development of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate. But while Novavax counted on $1.6 billion from Operation Warp Speed, Vaxart did not pull in any federal funding and had to issue stock to fund its phase 1 trial.

Cardiff Oncology

Cardiff Oncology's CRDF licensed its lead cancer drug, Onvansertib, for $2 million from a private company and is reportedly achieving success in fighting colon tumour while simultaneously being tested for prostate cancer and leukemia in phase 2 trials. Pivotal trials have not been reached yet but the early data was enough to lure in investors.

Co-Diagnostics

Co-Diagnostics CODX ran up from a $15 million valuation to $300 million when it provided an early diagnostic test for COVID-19. Early sales of its diagnostics caused revenue to jump to $47 million in the first three quarters of the year, its sales growth soared over 50,000% in the third quarter, and it boasts a 63% profit margin.

Trillium Therapeutics

Trillium Therapeutics TRIL saw its market cap skyrocket from $29 million to $1.2 billion this year. The biotech company specializes in drugs that shut down the CD47 protein in cancer cells, which instructs the immune system to leave the cancer cells alone. When this protein is shut down, the immune system can kill the cancer cells. While Trillium's drugs are only in phase 1 trials, early data is promising.

Arcturus Therapeutics

mRNA vaccine developers Pfizer PFE, Moderna MRNA and BioNTech BNTX made headlines this year as their COVID-19 vaccines proved to be safe and effective. Arcturus Therapeutics ARCT is another such specialist but is lagging behind due to a lack of funds. Arcturus has vaccine candidates for COVID-19 and the flu, along with a variety of other mRNA drugs in clinical trials, including a possible treatment for cystic fibrosis. Still, it did go up 940% as the investment world speculates about this new technology.

Celldex Therapeutics

Celldex CLDX shares sold for $2 in January and now they are standing at approximately $19 as the company got its drugs into clinical trails. The biotech has two cancer drugs in phase 1 trials, and another phase 1 drug for an inflammatory disease that causes hives.

Retractable Technologies

Retractable Technologies RVP makes syringes with automatic retractable needles which became of vital importance during the pandemic. Retractable saw huge revenue gains this year as the government stockpiled syringes for upcoming vaccination.

Moderna

Moderna had a $6 billion market cap already at the beginning of the year when it did not have any existing drug on the market. But COVID-19 allowed the company to show what it's got and Moderna delivered by producing a vaccine with 94.1% efficacy. Now Moderna's market cap is $61 billion with rest of its pipeline that has been validated with mRNA evidence.

Seres Therapeutics

Seres Therapeutics MCRB specializes in the genetic material of all the microscopic bacteria that exist in the gastrointestinal tract and seeks the beneficial gut bacteria. It has even joined forces with Nestle NSRGY on a drug in phase 3 trials for a type of colitis that affects half a million Americans every year, and a phase 2 drug for ulcerative colitis.

An even brighter outlook

Novavax, the best stock in 2020, could continue to soar if its phase 3 trials data is positive. Trillium and Seres have exciting drug platforms that are approaching deadly diseases in an entirely new way.

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