The Week Ahead In Biotech: Merck, Bristol-Myers Earnings, Conference Presentations In Focus

Biotech stocks see-sawed through the week ended Jan. 31 and ended the month lower overall. Big pharma earnings of the week were mostly disappointing.

Pfizer Inc. PFE reported disappointing fourth-quarter earnings and Amgen, Inc. AMGN guided 2020 below consensus, while Eli Lilly And Co LLY managed to outperform expectations.

The week continued to see coronavirus-related spikes, with Cleveland BioLabs, Inc. CBLI, NanoViricides, Inc. NNVC, Vir Biotechnology, Inc. VIR and Vaccinex, Inc. VCNX among the stocks riding on the momentum.

Acceleron Pharma Inc XLRN was one of the standout gainers of the week, thanks to a positive midstage clinical readout.

The much-anticipated FDA verdict on Aimmune Therapeutics Inc's AIMT peanut allergy drug Palforzia came through in the week, with the regulatory agency greenlighting the drug.

Related Link: 7 Blockbuster Drugs Expected To Be Launched In 2020

Turning ahead to the unfolding week, the following are key catalysts that could create a ripple in the biotech space.

Conferences

• 2nd International Scientific & Clinical Congress on Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Feb. 5-7 in Paris, France
• The European Association for Hemophilia and Allied Disorders, or EAHAD, 2020 Congress: Feb. 5-7 in Hague, Netherlands
• ASCO-SITC Clinical Immuno-Oncology Symposium: Feb. 6-8 in Orlando, Florida
• Angiogenesis, Exudation, and Degeneration 2020: Feb. 8 in Miami, Florida

Clinical Readouts

Forty Seven Inc FTSV is due to present at the ASCO-SITC Symposium Phase 1b data for magrolimab + avelumab in ovarian cancer.

Jounce Therapeutics Inc JNCE will present at the ASCO-SITC Symposium Phase 1/2 data for vopratelimab, codenamed JTX-2011, in solid tumors. (Feb. 6)

Catalyst Biosciences Inc CBIO is scheduled to present at the EAHAD Congress Phase 2b data for dalcinonacog alfa in hemophilia B. (Feb. 7)

Kodiak Sciences Inc KOD is due to present at the Angiogenesis, Exudation, and Degeneration 2020with Phase 1b data for KSI-301 in diabetic macular edema (Feb. 8)

Adverum Biotechnologies Inc ADVM will present at the Angiogenesis, Exudation, and Degeneration 2020 with Phase 1 data for ADVM-022 in wet age-related macula degeneration. (Feb. 8)

Earnings

Monday

• Catalent Inc CTLT (before the market open)
• Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. TARO (after the close)

Tuesday

• Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc ZBH (before the market open)
• Haemonetics Corporation HAE (before the market open)
• BIO-TECHNE Corp TECH (before the market open)
• Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. NBIX (after the close)
• Gilead Sciences, Inc. GILD (after the close)
• Qiagen NV QGEN (after the close)

Wednesday

• Merck & Co., Inc. MRK (before the market open)
• Boston Scientific Corporation BSX (before the market open)
• Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc ARWR (after the close)
• Cardiovascular Systems Inc CSII (after the close)
• Misonix Inc MSON (after the close)
• SurModics, Inc. SRDX (after the close)

Thursday

• ABIOMED, Inc. ABMD (before the market open)
• Bristol-Myers Squibb Co BMY (before the market open)
• Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ALNY (before the market open)
• Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc REGN (before the market open)
• Twist Bioscience Corp TWST (after the close)
• Anavex Life Sciences Corp AVXL (after the close)
• Pacific Biosciences of California PACB (after the close)
• Enanta Pharmaceuticals Inc ENTA (after the close)
• Myriad Genetics, Inc. MYGN (after the close)
• Seattle Genetics, Inc. SGEN (after the close)
• Natus Medical Inc NTUS (after the close)
• LeMaitre Vascular Inc LMAT (after the close)
• Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. LGND (after the close)

Friday

• AbbVie Inc ABBV
• Meridian Bioscience, Inc. VIVO

IPOs

Beam Therapeutics plans to offer 6.25 million shares in an IPO, with the offering expected to be priced between $15 and $17. The company, which is engaged in developing therapies based on single-base gene editing, has applied for listing its shares on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "BEAM."

Contract research organization PPD is planning a 60-million-share IPO to be priced in the range of $24-$27. The shares are to be listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "PPD."