Over the past week, a few biotech companies made impressive runs. These moves were the result of clinical trial results, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decisions and more. The companies 24/7 Wall St. has picked stood out from the rest with positive news guiding them last week. We have included information about each company, as well as recent trading activity and the consensus price target.

Advaxis

Advaxis Inc. (NASDAQ: ADXS) announced that data from a dose-escalation study of ADXS-HER2 in canine osteosarcoma was published online March 18, 2016, in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

This treatment with ADXS-HER2 reduced the incidence of metastatic disease and prolonged survival relative to a historical control group. The median survival time for the ADXS-HER2 treated dogs was 956 days, which was significantly longer than the 423-day median survival time of the historical control group.

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone tumor in dogs, with over 10,000 dogs annually diagnosed. It is also the most common bone cancer in children and teens, and the third most common cancer in teens after lymphomas and brain tumors.

Shares of Advaxis rose 26% over the course of the week to a high of $10.39 but slid back down by the end of the week. Year to date, the shares are down around 15%. The stock closed most recently at $8.74. The consensus price target is $24.17, and the 52-week range is $5.21 to $30.13.

Celator Pharmaceuticals

It appears that investors don’t mind the most recent results from Celator Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CPXX) and are looking ahead to the future. The stock has made a big push recently and has been big on the momentum trade. The company said it had a net loss of $0.13 per share for its fourth quarter. That compared to the consensus estimate from Thomson Reuters of a net loss of $0.12 per share, as well as the net loss of $0.07 per share reported in the same period of last year.

In addition, the company recently announced that the Phase 3 trial for Vyxeos in patients with high-risk (secondary) acute myeloid leukemia demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in overall survival.

During the week, shares rose 25%, and even up as much as 45% to the weekly high of $12.64. Shares are up over 500% year to date. The stock closed most recently at $10.63. It has a consensus price target of $18.33 and a 52-week range of $1.12 to $12.73.

Akorn

Before the markets opened on Tuesday, Akorn Inc. (NASDAQ: AKRX) reported its preliminary 2015 financial results. This is in an effort to settle up with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and file its restated 2014 financial information as well as its delinquent 2015 financial results. At the same time, Akorn issued guidance for the 2016 full year.

In terms of the 2015 numbers, the company reported earnings per share (EPS) of $1.93 and net revenues of roughly $985 million. Consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters called for $1.95 in EPS on $971.4 million in revenue. As for the 2014 results, Akorn estimates that the overstatement to full-year 2014 net revenue and pretax income from continuing operations is roughly $35 million. These estimates are subject to the completion of the audit of the restated financial statements. The outlook for 2016 was given as EPS in the range of $2.10 to $2.20 for 2016, which compares to the consensus EPS estimate of $2.27.

Over the course of the week, shares rose 28%. Year to date, they are down 35%. The stock ended last week at $24.37. The consensus analyst target is $37.00, and the 52-week range is $17.57 to $57.10.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals

Following a key patent dispute win in the U.S. court system, Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: IONS) led biotech stocks early on Wednesday. The company announced that a jury in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, found in favor of Merck and Ionis in a patent dispute related to Gilead Sciences’ sofosbuvir-based medicines for the treatment of hepatitis C virus, including Sovladi and Harvoni.

The jury found in favor of Merck and Ionis, upholding all claims from the two patents in the case, including two methods and eight composition of matter claims. Both Ionis and Merck are co-inventors on the patents that serve as the basis for the dispute. Ionis is the big winner in this whole situation as it will receive 20% of the damages awarded to Merck that exceed the costs Merck incurred to conduct the litigation, and Ionis will also receive 20% of all future payments.

Ionis stock was down year to date 34%. Over the week, shares rose 19% to a weekly high of $46.05, but shares only ended the week up about 6%. The stock last traded at $41.62. The stock has a consensus price target of $57.33 and a 52-week range of $30.93 to $71.50.

Portola Pharmaceuticals

Less than favorable top-line results from its Phase 3 APEX (Acute Medically Ill VTE Prevention with Extended Duration Betrixaban) Study had an impact on Portola Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: PTLA) on Thursday. This study evaluated the superiority of extended-duration anticoagulation with oral betrixaban compared with standard of care anticoagulation with injectable enoxaparin for the prevention of venous thromboembolism, or blood clots, in acute medically ill patients. Unfortunately, the results from the study were such that the oral treatment data did not beat out the standard injectable treatment. Also there was no real statistical difference in major bleeding between these two groups.

Shares fell 28% last week. Year to date, they are down 60%. The stock closed most recently at $20.27. The consensus analyst target is $57.60, and the 52-week range is $20.00 to $57.96.

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