ADXS Continues To Slide, MDGL To Report NASH Data In Q2, Keep An Eye On RXII

(RTTNews) - The following are some of the stocks that lost the largest percentage in price today in the pharma/biotech sector.

1. RXi Pharmaceuticals Corp. (RXII)

Lost 14.89% to close Tuesday's (Mar.13) trading at $3.20. This is the second straight day of double-digit loss for the stock.

News: No news

Clinical Trials & Near-term Catalysts:

-- The lead compound is RXI-109, which successfully completed a phase II trial for dermal scarring last December.

RXI-109 is also being tested in a phase 1/2 study in an ophthalmology indication namely in patients with advanced, wet age-related macular degeneration and associated retinal scarring. Readouts from this trial are expected this month.

-- Also in the pipeline are Samcyprone, which is being evaluated in a phase IIa clinical trial in subjects with at least one cutaneous, plantar or periungual wart, and RXI-231, a cosmetic ingredient in a proprietary gel formulation designed to aid in the reduction of pigmentation to improve skin appearance.

The Company expects to share full read-outs from the Phase 2a clinical trial of Samcyprone for the treatment of cutaneous warts in Q1-Q2 2018 time period.

2. Aralez Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ARLZ)

Lost 13.86% to close Tuesday's trading at $1.74.

News: The Company reported financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2017.

Net loss in the fourth quarter of 2017 widened to $45.8 million or $0.68 per share from $31.1 million or $0.48 per share in the fourth quarter of 2016. Total revenues for the fourth quarter of 2017 were $28.0 million, an increase of 40%, compared to $20.0 million for the same period of 2016.

Looking ahead, the Company expects 2018 net revenue to be in a range of $140 million to $160 million. The net revenue in 2017 was $105.9 million.

3. Advaxis Inc. (ADXS)

Lost 11.76% to close Tuesday's trading at $1.95.

Recent news:

-- On Mar.12, 2018, the Company announced that the FDA placed a clinical hold on its phase 1/2 combination study of Axalimogene filolisbac with AstraZeneca's IMFINZI for the treatment of patients with advanced, recurrent or refractory human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cervical cancer and HPV-associated head and neck cancer.

The clinical hold was implemented following a patient death, involving respiratory failure, in the trial.

4. Daxor Corporation (DXR)

Lost 11.35% to close Tuesday's trading at $5.00.

News: No news

The Company manufactures and markets FDA-cleared BVA-100 blood volume analyzer, which is used in conjunction with a single-use diagnostic kit.

5. Madrigal Pharmaceuticals Inc. (MDGL)

Lost 10.88% to close Tuesday's trading at $127.34.

Recent events:

-- On February 8, 2018, the Company announced positive results from its phase II trial of MGL-3196 in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Despite the positive results, the stock was down nearly 10% that day.

Near-term Catalysts:

-- The Company will be presenting 12-week results from an ongoing MGL-3196 Phase 2 clinical trial in patients with biopsy-proven non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) on April 13, 2018 during a main plenary session at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL). The 12-week results were reported on December 6, 2017, which sent the stock soaring over 118% that day.

The 36 weeks results from the phase II NASH trial of MGL-3196 are expected in the second quarter of 2018.

6. Atara Biotherapeutics Inc. (ATRA)

Lost 10.42% to close Tuesday's trading at $41.25.

News: No news

Recent event:

-- On Feb.28, 2018, the Company priced an underwritten public offering of 4.28 million shares of its common stock at $35.00 per share. The gross proceeds from this offering are expected to be $150.0 million.

Clinical Trials & Near-term Catalysts:

-- Two phase III trials for Tab-cel intended to support approval in the treatment of rituximab-refractory Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Post Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder (EBV-PTLD) after hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT), dubbed MATCH, or solid organ transplant (SOT), dubbed ALLELE, are underway. -- In January of 2018, the Company received FDA clearance to proceed with patient enrollment at U.S. sites for its ongoing global Phase 1 clinical study to evaluate ATA188 in patients with progressive or relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. The phase 1 study of ATA188 in MS patients was initiated in the fourth quarter of 2017 in Australia. -- Initiate phase 1/2 study of Tab-cel in combination with Merck's KEYTRUDA for treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the second half of 2018. -- Report the first results from the ATA188 Phase 1 study in patients with progressive MS in the first half of 2019.