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4 Top Health Care Stocks To Add To Your Watchlist This Week
Health care stocks have been in focus in the stock market over the past year for obvious reasons. Everyone was taken aback as we were plagued by the global pandemic. However, every crisis presents a new opportunity. Funds were allocated more than ever into the health care industry as we are reminded of how important health is. We see many health care stocks such as Moderna Inc (NASDAQ: MRNA) and Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE) rising to the occasion to combat the pandemic through its COVID-19 vaccines.
Moderna made its name by being one of the first in the world to receive the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its coronavirus vaccine. Since then, MRNA stock has increased in price by more than tenfold. With such success, it is no surprise that many health care companies are constantly racing for the next big breakthrough. After all, health care is something we need at some point in our lives. Therefore, we could see why many investors are looking for top health care stocks to invest in. If you are one of them, here are four names trending in the stock market today.
Top Health Care Stocks To Watch Right Now
Cassava Sciences Inc
First, we have the clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, Cassava. The company focuses on developing drugs for the treatment of nervous system disorders. Cassava is currently in focus due to the spotlight on the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. This comes after Biogen Inc (NASDAQ: BIIB) received an accelerated FDA approval for its drug ADUHELM™. So, investors appear to be optimistic that Cassava’s simufilam and SavaDx may benefit from this development.
Simufilam is Cassava’s lead drug candidate to treat Alzheimer’s disease while SavaDx is an investigational diagnostic candidate to detect Alzheimer’s. The company will be presenting its results of an interim analysis on safety and cognition for the first 50 subjects to complete 9 months of open-label drug treatment. These data will be presented at the 2021 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) in Denver scheduled for 26th to 30th July. The company is taking the opportunity to give an update on its drug as it is aware that clear evidence of drug efficacy is essential.
Furthermore, Cassava also announced the selection of Premier Research International as its clinical research organization (CRO). Given that it has completed over 250 clinical studies in neuroscience, the company believes that Premier Research would be the ideal partner to advance simufilam into Phase 3 clinical testing. So, do you believe Cassava could live up to its expectations? If so, would you consider buying SAVA stock?
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BioNTech SE
BioNTech SE is a Germany-based clinical-stage biotechnology company. The company is known for its partnership with Pfizer for its COVID-19 vaccine. Besides that, it focuses on patient-specific immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer and other serious diseases. BNTX stock has had a stellar 2021 so far in the stock market. It has climbed by over 160% since the start of the year.
Last week, BioNTech announced that the first patient has been treated in its BNT111 Phase 2 cancer vaccine trial. The study evaluates the combination of BNT111 with Libtayo® (cemiplimab) in patients with anti-PD1-refractory/relapsed unresectable Stage III or IV melanoma. The company hopes that it could harness the power of the immune system against cancer and other infectious diseases. While the pandemic has been the primary focus over the past year, we should not forget that cancer is also a global health threat that requires attention.
In regards to its COVID-19 vaccine, it has received authorization from the European Union to include individuals 12 to 15 years of age. This follows the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) positive opinion to authorize the vaccine in this age group. This is significant as making vaccines available to adolescents will help reopen schools and support the return to a normal day-to-day life. With all these developments around the company, would you consider adding BNTX stock to your watchlist?
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Vir Biotechnology Inc
Vir Biotechnology is a clinical-stage immunology company that focuses on antibodies. In essence, it focuses on developing treatments and prevention for serious infectious diseases. Its pipeline consists of product candidates targeting hepatitis B virus (HBV), influenza A, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and tuberculosis (TB). VIR stock has risen over 80% year-to-date.
On Monday, GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) along with Vir announced the final results from the Phase 3 COMET-ICE (COVID-19 Monoclonal antibody Efficacy Trial – Intent to Care Early) trial. The trial showed that sotrovimab significantly reduces the risk of hospitalization or death among high-risk adult outpatients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. The fight against the pandemic is not only about vaccinations, but treatment for the infected is also equally important, if not more.
Besides that, last week, Vir also announced that four of its abstracts highlighting data from its hepatitis B clinical program have been accepted for two oral and two poster presentations at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Digital International Liver Congress. So, investors could be expecting some new positive data from its clinical program. With that in mind, would you be keeping tabs on VIR stock?
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Natera Inc
To sum up the list, we have a pioneer and global leader in cell-free DNA testing, Natera. It engages in the discovery, development, and commercialization of genetic testing services. Through its next-generation cfDNA technology platform, it focuses on noninvasive blood-based testing in the fields of women’s health, oncology, and organ health. NTRA stock has been trading sideways since the start of the year. However, it should not go unnoticed that it has picked up some momentum, showing gains of over 25% over the past month.
Last Friday, Natera announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services had granted Advanced Diagnostic Laboratory Test status for the Signatera molecular residual disease (MRD) test. This means that Signatera meets the highly selective criteria established under the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014. Signatera is used for treatment monitoring and MRD assessment and can detect cancer recurrence up to two years before conventional imaging
In May, the company announced its first-quarter earnings report. Natera posted revenue of $152.3 million, up by 62% year-over-year. Out of which, product revenues were $118.4 million. It also processed approximately 348,200 tests during the first quarter of 2021, compared to 235,500 in the prior-year quarter. Given its current momentum, the company appears to be increasing its revenue forecast for the year by $50 million. All things considered, would NTRA stock be one of the top health care stocks to buy?
