Over the past week, a few biotech companies made absolutely massive runs. In the past year, the health care sector was on fire from positive trials, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals and mergers and acquisitions.

The companies 24/7 Wall St. has picked stood out from the rest with incredible gains or losses over the course of the past week. We have included information about each company, as well as recent trading activity and the consensus price target.

Idera Pharmaceuticals

Following the presentation of its clinical data last weekend, Idera Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: IDRA) made a strong push in Monday’s session. The company presented initial clinical data from its ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial for IMO-8400, which is being evaluated for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia.

The primary objectives of the study were to assess safety and tolerability. Secondary objectives were to assess pharmacokinetic and clinical activity and define the optimal dose for further clinical evaluation. In addition to clinical treatment parameters, cytokine levels were analyzed as an exploratory endpoint in the trial.

Shares of Idera closed Friday at $3.67, within a 52-week trading range of $2.27 to $5.48. The consensus analyst price target is $6.50. Over the course of the week, shares were up just below 10% to Thursday’s close, but the stock gave back more than 7% on Friday. Year to date, the stock is down 10%.

MEI Pharma

MEI Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: MEIP) led the bulls in the broad markets Monday on news of positive Phase 2 results. The company announced positive results from a study of its investigational drug candidate Pracinostat in combination with azacitidine in elderly patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The results were presented at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting in Orlando.

Roughly 56% patients in the study achieved the primary endpoint of complete response (CR) plus complete response with incomplete blood count recovery (CRi) plus morphologic leukemia-free state, including 42% of patients who achieved a CR. Notably, patients who achieved a CR are still alive with a 100% one-year survival rate among all CR patients, indicating a correlation between CR and survival with this low intensity therapy.

Shares of MEI Pharma closed Friday at $1.64. The 52-week trading range is $1.47 to $6.59, and the consensus analyst price target is $5.00. Last week, shares were up as high as 25% but eventually went negative for the week. The stock is down over 60% year to date.
Bluebird Bio

Bluebird Bio Inc. (NASDAQ: BLUE) absolutely tanked in Monday’s trading session, based on preclinical and manufacturing data from CAR T oncology programs at the ASH Annual Meeting. The data were not necessarily favorable, and this appears to be the straw that broke the camel’s back, as most analysts are choosing not to defend Bluebird Bio, with the exception of Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Bluebird Bio shares ended the week at $59.52, with a consensus price target of $129.73 and a 52-week range of $48.85 to $197.35. The shares dropped nearly 25% over the course of the week, while they are down about 35% year to date.

Cara Therapeutics

Shares of Cara Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: CARA) rose in Wednesday’s session on statistically significant Phase 2 results, but the delight of investors was short lived. The company announced positive top-line results from a Phase 2a trial of an oral tablet formulation of its peripherally selective kappa opioid agonist, CR845, in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee or hip. Despite this Phase 2 study being designed to confirm safety and tolerability and PK parameters, it actually obtained significant converging finding of dose-related effectiveness as well.

On Friday’s close, shares were trading at $15.23. The consensus price target is $28.86, and the 52-week range is $9.00 to $23.61. Last week, shares rose 11% to Thursday’s close but gave over half of that back on Friday. Year to date, shares are about 60% higher.

TherapeuticsMD

Due to on positive top-line results from one of its late-stage trials, TherapeuticsMD Inc. (NYSEMKT: TXMD) led the health care sector in Tuesday’s session. The company announced positive results from its pivotal Phase 3 Rejoice Trial of TX-004HR, an investigational, applicator-free vaginal estradiol softgel, for the treatment of moderate to severe dyspareunia. The total addressable market on this drug is huge.

For some background, dyspareunia is vaginal pain during sexual intercourse, a symptom of vulvar and vaginal atrophy (VVA) due to menopause. VVA is a chronic condition affecting nearly half of postmenopausal women in the United States that can significantly impair their quality of life.

Shares of TherapeuticsMD closed Friday at $8.99, with a consensus price target of $19.20 and a 52-week range of $3.44 to $9.81. They rose 34% last week and are up over 100% year to date.

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