3 Trending Biotech Stocks For Your October 2021 Watchlist
The broader stock market continues to face concerns about the economy and rising bond yields. As a result, I could see some investors turning toward the top biotech stocks in the market now. For the most part, this would be thanks to the constant attention on the industry throughout the current pandemic. After all, biotech companies are the ones behind the life-saving vaccines we employ across the globe today. While high-growth tech stocks are mostly taking a breather amid a surge in Treasury yields, biotech stocks could present an interesting opportunity for investors.
On that note, the current rollout of vaccine booster shots is well underway. According to White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients, over 400,000 Americans received booster shots over the weekend. This would continue to highlight the relevance of companies such as Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech (NASDAQ: BNTX) now. Adding to that, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla recently provided an update about living with Covid in the long run. According to Bourla, we could return to normalcy within a year, albeit with annual Covid shots. Given the flu-like nature of the virus, this would not be unheard of.
Not to mention, Pfizer is also currently working on developing an mRNA-based flu vaccine. The likes of which are now undergoing clinical trials. Through the same tech from its coronavirus vaccine, Pfizer seems keen on addressing this long-term global health care issue. Aside from these companies, there are plenty of other biotech firms hard at work in the industry now. With that said, here are three making waves in the stock market today.
Top Biotech Stocks To Watch Right Now
- Sanofi (NASDAQ: SNY)
- Merck & Company Inc. (NYSE: MRK)
- Sonoma Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: SNOA)
Sanofi
To begin with, we will be taking a look at Sanofi. In brief, it is a French multinational pharmaceutical firm. The company is among the largest pharmaceutical businesses in the world in terms of prescription sales. Regarding its developmental pipeline, Sanofi is currently developing treatments for a wide selection of fields in the health care industry. This includes immunology & inflammation, oncology, rare blood disorders, neurology, and vaccines among other areas. As such, SNY stock could be worth noting among the top biotech stocks now.
If anything, Sanofi appears to be kicking into high gear on the operational front. Yesterday, the company announced positive results from clinical trials of its own mRNA-based Covid vaccine. Namely, data from the studies suggest that Sanofi’s mRNA vaccine development tech is effective and viable. Moving forward, the company is aiming to redirect these findings towards building its mRNA development team against other diseases. According to Global Head of Research at Sanofi, Jean-Francois Toussaint, this will include work on a vaccine flu starting in 2022.
Moreover, the company also provided a notable update on its ongoing partnership with GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK). The duo are actively working on an adjuvanted recombinant protein candidate vaccine. Sanofi is expanding this study to include research on applications towards broader public health sectors as well. Would all of this make SNY stock a top stock to watch for you?
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Merck & Company
Another name to consider in the biotech stock trade this week would be Merck & Company. Similar to our previous entry, Merck is another multinational pharmaceutical company to know now. Given its extensive experience in developing treatments for over a century, Merck is no newcomer to the biotech game. In fact, it is a leading name in the global biotech industry now. This is evident given its work with diseases such as cancer, HIV, and Ebola. Accordingly, investors could be looking at MRK stock now because of all this.
Despite its current momentum, Merck does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon. For starters, the company announced significantly positive results from clinical trials of its hepatocellular carcinoma (HC) drug, KEYTRUDA. In its Phase 3 study, Merck found that the treatment showed “statistically significant improvement” in the overall survival of patients versus a placebo group. Ideally, this would bring Merck another step closer to market. This would be crucial given that HC has “one of the highest mortality rates” among solid cancers, according to Merck VP of clinical research, Dr. Scot Ebbinghaus. Moving forward, Dr. Ebbinghaus notes that Merck is eager to engage with regulatory authorities soon.
Additionally, news broke yesterday regarding the company’s ongoing talks to acquire Acceleron Pharma (NASDAQ: XLRN). Should things go as planned, Acceleron’s FDA-approved anemia treatment would significantly bolster Merck’s rare disease portfolio. Based on The Wall Street Journal sources, the deal could value Accleron at around $11 billion and could be finalized this week. All things considered, will you be adding MRK stock to your watchlist?
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Sonoma Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Following that, we have Sonoma Pharmaceuticals. In essence, Sonoma is an upcoming player in the global health care industry today. The company is mainly known for its work in developing stabilized hypochlorous acid (HOCl) products. According to Sonoma, said products boast a range of applications. This includes but is not limited to wound care, eye care, nasal & oral care, and disinfectant use. For a sense of scale, Sonoma’s wares are marketed in 54 countries across the globe now.
Thanks to the company’s latest announcement, SNOA stock seems to be gaining traction in the stock market. Evidently, SNOA stock skyrocketed by over 30% during intraday trading yesterday. In detail, Sonoma launched its first over-the-counter products in the U.S. These are its Regenacyn scar gel and Ocucyn eyelid cleanser. Notably, the company is now partnering up with e-commerce giant Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) to accomplish this. Furthermore, the company is also launching another product on Amazon sites in Europe as well.
Overall, CEO Amy Trombly had this to say, “We could not be more excited about making our safe and effective products available directly to consumers through Amazon. We look forward to offering our clinically proven and patented Microcyn® Technology to a wider range of patients for advanced scar management, eyelid & eyelash hygiene, and personal protection spray for the face and skin.” With this development, some would argue that SNOA stock could have more room to grow moving forward. Would you agree?
