Morning fellow, Fools! It's time to check in on some of the biggest stories in health care today.
Synta moving up
Synta Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SNTA) is making a move higher this morning following the launch of a number of clinical trials for the company's lead experimental cancer drug Ganetespib. Specifically, Synta launched the drug into trials for Acute Myeloid Leukemia, High Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome, and ovarian cancer this week. This latest batch of trials augments Synta's already large clinical pipeline for various cancers.
So, should you join this party? Personally, I think you might want to wait on this one. Synta is still in focused on developing its oncology pipeline, and is burning through cash at breakneck pace as a result. With only about $50 million in cash remaining and numerous clinical trials to fund, I expect the company to raise funds soon.This latest jump thus might be a good opportunity for the company to do just that.
Raptor riding Intercept's coattails
Raptor Phamaceuticals (NASDAQ: RPTP) is up 2.8% this morning on essentially no news. What appears to be driving this spike is Intercept Pharmaceuticals' (ICPT +0.00%) successful mid-stage trial for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH. Raptor has their own clinical candidate for a form of the disease in children that is expected to report results in the second half of this year, and investors appear to think Raptor might be the next liver disease drugmaker to blast into orbit.
What's my take? While I am a fan of Raptor's pipeline, you might want to take a pass on today's action. Investors with a long-term outlook should have ample opportunities to open a position in Raptor down the line, after it cools off from following in Intercept's massive wake.
AngioDynamics beats estimates
AngioDyanmics (ANGO 0.62%) looked set to rise this morning, but shares are down 1.5% after reporting earnings. The company saw sales of its minimally invasive surgical products rise by 2% overall compared to a quarter ago, with particularly strong growth in Peripheral Vascular products. AngioDynamics thus raised its year-long guidance in terms of revenues by four million to $353 million, but it looks like these results weren't enough to impress investors.
Is AngioDynamics worth checking out? Although the stock has already risen more than 60% over the last year, I think there is still upside with this medical device maker. Earnings are expected to continue to rise by 15% year over year, with a strong five-year outlook. So you might want to dig deeper into this compelling growth story.
