The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: United Therapeutics, TESARO, Supernus, BioSpecifics Technologies and Medicines Co.

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – January 03, 2014 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include the United Therapeutics (UTHR-Free Report), TESARO, Inc. (TSRO-Free Report), Supernus (SUPN-Free Report), BioSpecifics Technologies Corp. (BSTC-Free Report) and Medicines Company (MDCO-Free Report).

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Here are highlights from Thursday’s Analyst Blog:

Biotech Stock Roundup

With the holiday season in full swing, it’s been a slow week for the biotech sector. That being said, some companies that made headlines last week include United Therapeutics (UTHR-Free Report) and TESARO, Inc. (TSRO-Free Report).

Early Christmas for UTHR: The FDA played Santa for UTHR with the agency approving Orenitram (treprostinil) Extended-Release Tablets for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (:PAH) in WHO Group I patients to improve exercise capacity. It proved to be third time lucky for the company which had already received two complete response letters from the FDA earlier for the drug. Shares shot up 30.6% on the surprise approval and hit a 52-week high as well.

Supernus (SUPN-Free Report), UTHR’s partner, also benefited from the news with shares soaring 8%. Supernus stands to receive a milestone payment as well as royalties on Orenitram sales.

Investors Not Impressed with TESARO Data: Even though TESARO presented phase III data on its oncology candidate, rolapitant, saying that it achieved the primary endpoints in the studies, investors were not impressed - reason being the failure to achieve the secondary endpoints. Rolapitant is being developed for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (:CINV). Shares plunged 24.7% on the data.

Other Developments:

BSTC’s CCH Fails in Phase II Study: BioSpecifics Technologies Corp.’s (BSTC-Free Report) collagenase clostridium histolyticum (CCH) failed to meet the primary endpoint in a phase II study that was being conducted in canines with benign subcutaneous lipomas. A human lipoma study is ongoing with results due this month. Shares were not impacted significantly by the news.

EMA Accepts Cangrelor Marketing Application: The European Medicines Agency (:EMA) has accepted The Medicines Company’s (MDCO-Free Report) regulatory application for its experimental intravenous antiplatelet agent, cangrelor. Cangrelor is currently under review in the U.S. as well.

RedHill Shares Gain on Positive Data: Shares of RedHill Biopharma inched up almost 4% on positive data from a pharmacokinetic (:PK) study on RHB-105. RHB-105 is being evaluated for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, which is a major cause of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, gastric cancer and mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (:MALT) lymphoma.

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