5 Best Biotech Stocks To Watch Right Now

Pharmaceutical and biotech mergers and acquisitions (M&A) is on track to hand us the best year for non-mega merger deals since 2010 - which is delivering juicy profits for anyone investing in drug stocks.

On Monday, Dublin-based pharmaceutical firm Shire (Nasdaq ADR: SHPG) announced that it will buy Pennsylvania-based ViroPharma (Nasdaq: VPHM) for $4.2 billion in cash. The $50 per share purchase price is a 27% premium to Viropharma's Friday close and a 64% premium to the price when sale rumors first emerged this summer.

Shire's acquisition is "strategically very sound" despite the "eye-watering" multiple, Panmure Gordon analyst Savvas Neophytou told The Wall Street Journal. Pharmaceutical companies typically pay between five and 6.5 times sales, he said. Shire is paying nine times estimated 2013 sales for ViroPharma.

But Shire gets quite a bit for its $4.2 billion...

ViroPharma's main product is Cinryze, a treatment for chronic hereditary angioedema. Cinryze complements another Shire product, Firazyr, which treats acute attacks of the same disease. The acquisition will allow Shire to capitalize on its highly trained Firazyr sales force.

Hot Long Term Stocks To Watch Right Now: Gentium SpA(GENT)

Gentium S.p.A., a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development and manufacture of its primary product candidate, defibrotide, an investigational drug based on a mixture of single-stranded and double-stranded DNA extracted from pig intestines. It develops defibrotide for the treatment and prevention of hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD), a condition that occurs when veins in the liver are blocked as a result of cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation, that are administered prior to stem cell transplantation. The company has completed a Phase III clinical trial of defibrotide for the treatment of severe VOD in the United States, Canada, and Israel; and a Phase II/III pediatric trial in Europe for the prevention of VOD. It also offers sulglicotide that is developed from swine duodenum, and has ulcer healing and gastrointestinal protective properties in South Korea; and urokinase, which is made from human urine to treat various vascular disorders, such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms. The company was formerly known as Pharma Research S.r.L. and changed its name to Gentium S.p.A. in July 2001. Gentium S.p.A. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Villa Guardia, Italy.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  A parabolic problem
  It has also been a year to remember for shareholders of biopharmaceutical company Gentium (NASDAQ: GENT  ) whose share price has catapulted approximately 600% off its lows thanks to growth in its lead drug Defibrotide (known as Defitelio in the European Union).

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Shares of Jazz Pharmaceuticals Public Limited Company (NASDAQ: JAZZ) got a boost, shooting up 7.77 percent to $123.65 after the company announced its plans to buy Gentium SpA (NASDAQ: GENT) for around $1 billion.

5 Best Biotech Stocks To Watch Right Now: Durata Therapeutics Inc (DRTX)

Durata Therapeutics, Inc., incorporated on November 4, 2009, is a pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapeutics for patients with infectious diseases and acute illnesses. The Company enroll and dose patients in two global Phase III clinical trials with its product candidate, dalbavancin, for the treatment of patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (abSSSI). Dalbavancin is an intravenous antibiotic product candidate designed for once-weekly dosing. In addition to abSSSI, the Company focuses on the development of dalbavancin for additional indications, including osteomyelitis, diabetic foot infection and pneumonia.

As of December 31, 2011, Dalbavancin had already completed three Phase III clinical trials, in which more than 1,000 patients in total received dalbavancin. Dalbavancin achieved its primary efficacy endpoint of non-inferiority in each of these three completed Phase III clinical trials when compared to linezolid, cefazolin or vancomycin, three of the standard-of-care agents for uncomplicated skin and skin structure infections (uSSSI), and complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI). Its two ongoing Phase III clinical trials are designed to compare dalbavancin to vancomycin, with an option to switch to oral linezolid, under the new FDA draft guidance.

The Company competes with Pfizer, Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Theravance, Inc., Forest Laboratories, Inc., Sanofi-Aventis Ltd., The Medicines Company, Trius Therapeutics, Inc., Cempra, Inc., Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Nabriva Therapeutics AG, Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Furiex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bob's Stocks]

  Durata Therapeutics (DRTX) is developing Dalbavancin, a once a week, intravenous antibiotic product candidate, for the treatment of patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, or ABSSSI. The company is expected to file a NDA (New Drug Application) at any moment and MAA (Marketing Authorization Application) at the end of 2013.

5 Best Biotech Stocks To Watch Right Now: Boston Therapeutics Inc (BTHE)

Boston Therapeutics, Inc. is a development-stage company. The Company�� business is the development, manufacture and commercialization of therapeutic drugs and dietary supplements with a focus on glyco-pathology, a specialized field involving understanding the importance of carbohydrates in biochemistry and progression of diseases. The Company is focusing on three products: IPOXYN, an injectable anti-hypoxia drug, which it is developing; PAZ320, which is a non-systemic, chewable drug candidate for reduction of blood glucose in diabetics in development and SUGARDOWN, a complex carbohydrate-based chewable dietary supplement, which it is marketing. The Company�� non-systemic compounds for prediabetes and diabetes, SUGARDOWN and PAZ320, belong to the class of carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzyme inhibitors.

SUGARDOWN

The Company has developed SUGARDOWN, a non-systemic complex carbohydrate-based dietary supplement to moderate post-meal blood glucose using processes and technology. It has unrestricted access to both sufficient raw materials at commodity pricing and processing facilities to produce sufficient supply of SUGARDOWN to support product distribution across multiple sales channels as a dietary supplement. Its SUGARDOWN dietary supplement consists of a stabilized complex carbohydrate composition. The Company has completed development of SUGARDOWN as a dietary supplement. On January 24, 2012 the Company announced the clinical trial results in healthy volunteers performed at the University of Sydney on SUGARDOWN.

PAZ320

PAZ320 is a non-systemic, non-toxic, chewable drug candidate for prevention of diabetes and its complications. PAZ320 inhibits the enzymes, which release glucose from complex carbohydrate in foods during digestion, reducing the amount of available glucose absorbed through the intestine. PAZ320 is in development as a drug candidate. The Company�� non-systemic compounds for prediabetes and diabetes, SUGARDOWN and PAZ320, belong to the! class of carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzyme inhibitors.

IPOXYN

The Company has developed a drug candidate product IPOXYN, a glyco-protein based therapeutic agent. Its IPOXYN anti-hypoxia drug consists of a stabilized glycoprotein composition containing oxygen-rechargeable iron, targeting both human and animal tissues and organ systems deprived of oxygen and in need of metabolic support. In addition to potential uses for human patients, it also focuses to file a registration for IPOXYN for veterinary applications under the name OXYFEX. The Company�� pharmaceutical agents are intended for intravenous administration into the circulatory system to target acute and late stage diseases.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Today, BTHE remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $1.10 thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 12:25PM EDT October 10, 2013).

  Boston Therapeutics has previously closed the final tranche of approximately $1.8 million to bring total gross proceeds of approximately $5.3 million from the private placement of Common Stock and warrants to existing and new accredited investors (the “Offering”).
  Proceeds of the offering will be used to fund additional clinical trials for PAZ320, a non-systemic chewable drug designed to reduce the elevation of postprandial glucose or post-meal blood sugar for treatment of patients with Type 2 diabetes, and for general corporate purposes. PAZ320 is the first compound in a new class of therapies for this disease.

5 Best Biotech Stocks To Watch Right Now: Lpath Inc (LPTN)

Lpath, Inc. (Lpath), incorporated on September 18, 2002, is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of bio-active lipid-targeted monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapeutics. The Company has three product candidates, iSONEP, ASONEP and Lpathomab. The Company's program, iSONEP, is a mAb against Sphingosine-1-Phosphate (S1P). As of December 31, 2012, it was in phase-II clinical trials for wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration. The Company is also advancing ASONEP, the systemic formulation of the mAb to S1P. ASONEP has completed a phase-I clinical trial and is entering phase-II clinical trials in Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Lpath's third product candidate, Lpathomab, is a mAb to the bioactive lipid, Lysophosphatidic Acid (LPA). The Company also applies its technology platform, ImmuneY2, to discovering mAbs to new bioactive lipid targets.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Biotechnology company Lpath Inc.(LPTN) warned Pfizer Inc.(PFE) may divest itself of its exclusive option to co-develop the smaller firm’s leading product candidate. Lpath’s stock fell.