5 Top Gainers In Pharma Sector (TWST, NOVN, CMRX…)

(RTTNews) - The following are some of today's top gainers in the pharma/biotech sector.

1. Twist Bioscience Corporation (TWST)

Twist Bioscience Corp is a synthetic biology company that pioneers a new method of manufacturing synthetic DNA by "writing" DNA on a silicon chip.

Gained 7.97% to close Monday's (May 13) trading at $23.83.

News: The Company announced the closing of its upsized underwritten public offering of 4.31 million shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $21.00 per share, and full exercise of underwriters' option to purchase up to an additional 562,500 shares.

Recent event:

-- On April 30, 2019, the Company reported financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2019 ended March 31, 2019.

Net loss for the fiscal 2019 second quarter was $25.9 million or $0.93 per share on revenue of $13.6 million. This compared with a net loss of $16.9 million or $6.32 per share and revenue of $6.2 million for the same period of fiscal 2018.

For the full fiscal year 2019, Twist expects revenue to be in the range of $50 million to $52 million. Revenue was $25.4 million in fiscal 2018.

2. Novan Inc. (NOVN)

Novan is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing nitric oxide-based therapies to treat dermatological and oncovirus-mediated diseases.

Gained 7.87% to close Monday's trading at $1.37.

News: No news

Clinical Trials & Near-term Catalyst:

The Company's lead asset is SB206, a phase III-ready compound for the treatment of molluscum contagiosum.

The phase III molluscum program will begin recruiting patients this month (May) with top-line results targeted early during the first quarter of 2020 or before.

Molluscum contagiosum is a common skin disease caused by a virus and is characterized by pink or flesh-colored bumps on the skin (Source: American Academy of Dermatology).

3. Pieris Pharmaceuticals Inc. (PIRS)

Pieris Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing Anticalin-based drugs in the United States.

Gained 7.25% to close Monday's trading at $3.55.

News: No news

Near-term Catalysts:

-- Detailed data from a phase 1 single ascending dose study of PRS-060 in asthma is expected to be reported at the 2019 American Thoracic Society International Conference later this month. -- Comprehensive data from a phase I dose-escalation study of PRS-343 in HER2-positive solid tumors are expected to be reported later this year. -- An IND application for PRS-344, a PD-L1/4-1BB bispecific drug candidate being co-developed with Servier, is anticipated to be filed by year-end.

4. Chimerix Inc. (CMRX)

Chimerix is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel antivirals to address unmet medical needs.

Gained 5.45% to close Monday's trading at $3.29.

News: No news

Pipeline & Near-term Catalysts:

-- The Company's lead product candidate is oral Brincidofovir in late-stage development for the treatment of smallpox. The marketing applications for oral Brincidofovir in the indication of smallpox are expected to be filed in 2020. -- Brincidofovir is also under phase II testing in pediatric transplant recipients facing life-threatening adenovirus infection, dubbed AdAPT. The Company plans to provide an update on AdAPT enrollment in mid-2019. -- Also in the pipeline is IV Brincidofovir under phase II development for multi-viral prevention.

5. BioSig Technologies Inc. (BSGM)

BioSig Technologies Inc., a development stage medical device company.

Gained 5.38% to close Monday's trading at $9.40.

News: No news

Product portfolio

The Company's flagship product is PURE EP System, intended for acquiring, digitizing, amplifying, filtering, measuring and calculating, displaying, recording and storing of electrocardiographic and intracardiac signals for patients undergoing electrophysiology (EP) procedures in an EP laboratory.

It received FDA clearance last August, and the first commercial use of the System was completed at the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute in Austin, Texas in February of this year.