Benzinga's Top Pre-Market NASDAQ Gainers (EXEL, BIIB, TEVA, CIGX)

Exelixis Inc EXEL shares surged 9.95% to $12.15 in the pre-market session. EXEL retained Goldman Sachs in anticipation of potential takeover offers, Bloomberg reported. Biogen Idec Inc BIIB shares advanced 1.21% to $79.50 in the pre-market session. Analysts at BofA/Merrill upgraded BIIB from “neutral” to “buy.” Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited TEVA climbed 0.43% to $49.19 in the pre-market session. TEVA reported results from the 2-year Phase III ALLEGRO study of laquinimod, for treating relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. Star Scientific Inc CIGX jumped 0.29% to $3.42 in the pre-market session. CIGX shares have jumped 31.15% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 10.70% in the same period. Read more from Benzinga's Markets.