These are the best and worst-performing medical and biotech stocks from Jan. 3 to Jan. 10, a period during which the American Stock Exchange’s Biotechnology Index r0se 6.5%. This screen includes biotechnology and medical companies traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq or the American Stock Exchange that had market capitalizations of more than $300 million at the beginning of the week. The data come from Interactive Data and Thomson Reuters Fundamentals via FactSet Research Systems.
There was one amazing move this week: Intercept Pharma, which announced that a study being conducted of its experimental drug, obeticholic acid, as a treatment for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, a chronic buildup of fat in the liver, was stopped early because the drug was effective, causing shares to increase 500%. In a strange coda, the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive & Kidney Diseases, which is conducting the trial, released a statement to the Wall Street Journal saying that the drug also increased cholesterol levels in patients. That side effect also occurred in Intercept's earlier trials. It's worth noting that on a 12-month basis, Intercept shares have only doubled.*
Last Week's Best-Performing Biotech Stocks
| Recent | 1-week | 52-week | ||
| Market | price | price | ||
| value | change | change | ||
| Ticker | Company | ($MIL) | % | % |
| ICPT | Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 8,620.4 | 544.5 | 1210 |
| NBIX | Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. | 1,289.6 | 98.4 | 17.4 |
| EPZM | Epizyme, Inc. | 1,148.4 | 96.5 | #N/A |
| SGMO | Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. | 1,178.5 | 40.6 | 114.2 |
| OMED | OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 1,042.9 | 29.1 | #N/A |
| ZGNX | Zogenix, Inc. | 596.6 | 27.9 | 130.8 |
| XON | Intrexon Corporation | 2,897.2 | 27.1 | #N/A |
| MGNX | MacroGenics, Inc. | 926.5 | 25.6 | #N/A |
| PCYC | Pharmacyclics, Inc. | 9,656.4 | 24.8 | 72.2 |
| GALE | Galena Biopharma, Inc. | 668.3 | 24.8 | 199.4 |
| BTK | AMEX Biotechnology Index | 0.0 | 6.5 | 44.7 |
Last Week's Worst-Performing Biotech Stocks
| Recent | 1-week | 52-week | ||
| Market | price | price | ||
| value | change | change | ||
| Ticker | Company | ($MIL) | % | % |
| AMAG | AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 451.9 | -13.1 | 52.4 |
| AEGR | Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 1,923.5 | -10.6 | 171.3 |
| ARIA | ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 1,249.3 | -5.9 | -63.8 |
| TEAR | TearLab Corp. | 314.4 | -5.4 | 125.7 |
| SGNT | Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 760.6 | -5.4 | 54.5 |
| CSII | Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. | 881.0 | -5.4 | 146.0 |
| PBH | Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc. | 1,745.4 | -5.2 | 77.4 |
| KPTI | Karyopharm Therapeutics, Inc. | 642.0 | -5.1 | #N/A |
| SRPT | Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. | 730.2 | -4.9 | -27.4 |
| DRTX | Durata Therapeutics, Inc. | 324.9 | -4.8 | 58.0 |
The Best-Performing Biotech Stocks Of The Past 52 Weeks
| Recent | 1-week | 52-week | ||
| Market | price | price | ||
| value | change | change | ||
| Ticker | Company | ($MIL) | % | % |
| LCI | Lannett Company, Inc. | 1,254.5 | 8.3 | 539.2 |
| PBYI | Puma Biotechnology, Inc. | 3,341.2 | 11.9 | 449.4 |
| ACAD | ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. | 2,192.6 | -4.5 | 431.8 |
| INSY | Insys Therapeutics, Inc. | 929.3 | 11.5 | 407.5 |
| BCRX | BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 595.6 | 19.1 | 403.6 |
| GENT | Gentium S.p.A. Sponsored ADR | 864.0 | -0.1 | 389.7 |
| INO | Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 550.1 | 5.6 | 383.1 |
| KERX | Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. | 1,150.8 | 9.0 | 370.0 |
| ONVO | Organovo Holdings, Inc. | 872.5 | 3.6 | 312.9 |
| PRTA | Prothena Corp. Plc | 477.2 | -2.4 | 304.8 |
An error in the screen resulted in the wrong 12-month performance for Intercept.
