Biotech Stock Mailbag: Puma’s Rebound Explained, TG Therapeutics Approval Debate, Aurinia Next Steps

This week’s Biotech Stock Mailbag will address some current controversies and burning questions in our little corner of the investment world. Why the hell is Puma Biotechnology trading higher after the successful readout of Roche’s “APHINITY’ study of Perjeta in adjuvant breast cancer? What are the arguments for and against TG Therapeutics securing approval for ublituximab in high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia ? Did Aurinia Pharmaceuticals make a change to the primary endpoint of its phase III study of voclosporin in lupus nephritis? Are regulators okay with it? The March 2 announcement by Roche that Perjeta met the primary endpoint in the APHINITY study caused Puma shares to fall from $38 to an intraday low of $29.

3 Biotechs Likely to Be Acquired in 2017

The year is still young, but we’ve already seen acquisitions of Ariad and CoLucid . Which biotechs could be scooped up next in 2017? Here’s why Clovis Oncology The number of big companies battling to acquire Medivationin 2016 shows that the oncology space is hot.

Secretive Biotech Unicorn Moderna Unveils Pipeline, Financials

Moderna Therapeutics Inc., one of the best-funded private biotechnology companies in the U.S., unveiled its long-secret research and development pipeline on Monday, including experimental vaccines, cancer treatments and a cardiovascular therapy. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based startup has about $1.3 billion in cash on hand from investors, pharmaceutical partners and government grants, according to a presentation Monday at the J.P.Morgan Chase & Co.

Merrimack Soars on $1 Billion Sale of Cancer Drugs to Ipsen

The Nasdaq-listed cancer drugs developer is up 43% in pre-market trading after promising shareholders special dividends worth more than its closing share price on Friday. Nasdaq-listed Merrimack Pharmaceuticals agreed to sell oncology treatments, including its pancreatic-cancer treatment Onivyde, to French drugmaker Ipsen for as much as $1.05 billion, including benchmark payments.

3 Myths About Marijuana Stocks

What do Hercules, Thor, centaurs, and marijuana stocks have in common? They’re all the subjects of myths. Most myths have at least a little bit of truth interspersed with a lot that is false.