Vertex, Alnylam gain in drug-stock trading

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. were the sharpest gainers among larger-cap biotech stocks Wednesday.

Shares of Vertex /quotes/comstock/15*!vrtx/quotes/nls/vrtx (VRTX 43.70, -0.27, -0.61%) rallied 14% after the company released stronger-than-expected Phase III study results for its experimental cystic-fibrosis treatment VX-770.

The Cambridge, Mass.-based biotech firm also reported favorable safety data from a Phase II trial for the compound. Vertex said it expects additional data from two more studies by mid-2011.

Also Wednesday, analysts at Goldman Sachs initiated coverage of Vertex with a neutral rating.

Shares of Alnylam /quotes/comstock/15*!alny/quotes/nls/alny (ALNY 11.36, +0.19, +1.70%) rose 5% after analysts at Needham & Co. raised their rating on the stock to buy from hold.


No comments:

Post a Comment

Superhit News

News Archive