An Ear To The Pharma: 5 Stocks To Watch (OBSV, GERN, SRPT…)

(RTTNews) - The week that went by saw NASH drug stocks back in focus as positive results from a phase II study of Galmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd.'s (GLMD) investigational drug Aramchol seems to have had a positive rub off impact. Aramchol is being developed for treatment of patients with biopsy proven non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH.

One of the top gainers of the week was Viveve Medical Inc. (VIVE), which gained nearly 52%.

On June 4, 2018, the Company had announced the settlement of patent infringement litigation that it filed in 2016 against ThermiGen LLC, ThermiAesthetics LLC, and Dr. Red Alinsod. The settlement entitles Viveve to receive a monetary payment and on-going royalty, as well as other mutual agreements relating to certain intellectual property owned by the companies.

Galectin Therapeutics Inc. (GALT), which is developing GR-MD-02 for NASH cirrhosis, was another notable gainer of the week - with the stock soaring nearly 42%.

Now, here are some of the pharma/biotech stocks and upcoming events to keep an ear out for in the coming week.

1. Geron Corporation (GERN)

Geron is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the developing a drug for the treatment of hematologic myeloid malignancies.

The Company's lead drug candidate is Imetelstat, currently being tested in two clinical trials - IMbark, a Phase 2 trial in myelofibrosis, and IMerge, a Phase 2/3 trial in myelodysplastic syndromes.

Watch out for…

Updated data (as of January 2018) from the first 32 patients enrolled in Part 1 of IMerge, the ongoing Phase 2/3 clinical trial of Imetelstat in patients with lower risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), will be presented at the 23rd Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) to be held in Stockholm, Sweden, on June 17, 2018.

GERN closed Friday's trading at $4.28, up 9.74%.

2. ObsEva SA (OBSV)

ObsEva SA is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics for serious conditions that compromise a woman's reproductive health and pregnancy.

The Company's lead product candidate is OBE2109 for the treatment of pain associated with endometriosis, and for treating heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroids (UF) in pre-menopausal women.

Watch out for…

Top line results of phase IIb clinical trial of Linzagolix (OBE2109) for the treatment of endometriosis-associated pain, dubbed EDELWEISS, will be reported on Monday June 18, 2018.

OBSV closed Friday's trading at $14.55, down 3.00%.

3. Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. (VRX) (VRX.TO)

Valeant Pharma awaits the FDA approval for IDP-118 lotion, proposed as a topical treatment for plaque psoriasis, on June 18, 2018.

IDP-118 is a fixed combination of Halobetasol, a corticosteroid, and Tazarotene, a retinoid, formulated as a once-daily lotion.

If approved, IDP-118 will be the first and only topical lotion that contains the unique combination of Halobetasol and Tazarotene in one formulation for the treatment of plaque psoriasis in adult patients, allowing for a potentially expanded duration of use.

VRX closed Friday's trading at $26.86, up 0.22%.

4. Sarepta Therapeutics Inc. (SRPT)

Sarepta is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing precision genetic medicine to treat rare neuromuscular diseases, primarily Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

The Company's drug EXONDYS was granted accelerated approval in the U.S. for Duchenne muscular dystrophy in September 2016, despite an FDA panel recommending against its approval. The approval of EXONDYS is considered one of the controversial decisions.

Watch out for…

Data from at least two patients enrolled in the Phase 1/2a trial designed to assess the safety and tolerability of AAVrh74.MHCK7.micro-Dystrophin in individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy will be presented on June 19, 2018. To date, 4 patients have been enrolled in this study.

SRPT closed Friday's trading at $102.29, up 3.55%.

5. Zafgen Inc. (ZFGN)

Zafgen is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapies for patients affected by complex metabolic diseases.

The Company's lead product candidate is ZGN-1061, under phase II proof of concept trial for type 2 diabetes. Positive interim data from this ongoing trial were reported in March of this year.

Watch out for…

Additional insights from the phase II interim analysis for ZGN-1061, with potential for data from full 12 week trial, will be presented at the American Diabetes Association to be held June 22-26, 2018.

ZFGN closed Friday's trading at $7.04, up 0.86%.