Benzinga | Jan 10, 2022 07:41AM EST

The Week Ahead In Biotech (Jan 10-15): JPMorgan Healthcare Conference Front And Center, Preannouncements Keep Coming

Biotech stocks came under selling pressure along with the broader market, as rate hike fears seized Wall Street. The news flow, however, was scanty.

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration expanded the emergency use authorization it accorded for the Pfizer, Inc. (NYSE:PFE)-BioNTech SE (NASDAQ:BNTX) vaccine. The expanded approval allows the use of a single booster dose in individuals 12 through 15 years of age, a third primary series dose for certain immunocompromised children 5 through 11 years of age, and the shortening of time between completion of primary vaccination and a booster dose to at least five months.

Clinical readouts resulted in contrasting stock moves. Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LIXT) ended the week up about 80% after its lead candidate LB-100 was found to increase the responsiveness of diverse cancers to immunotherapy.

On the other hand, Aligos Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALGS) posted weekly declines of about 67% after it announced halting of the further development of its STOPS drug candidate, ALG-010133, in Phase 1 development to address chronic hepatitis B.

Here are the key catalysts that could impact trading in biotech stocks in the unfolding week:

Conferences

Biotech Showcase: Jan. 10-12 (virtual)

40th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference: Jan 10-13 (virtual)

H.C. Wainwright Bioconnect Conference: Jan. 10-13 (virtual)

IPOs

IPO Pricing

Bridgewater, New Jersey-based Hillstream Biopharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:HILS) proposes offering 3 million shares in an initial public offering at an estimated price range of $5 and $6. The company has applied for listing its shares on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol HILS.

Hillstream is a pre-clinical biotechnology company developing therapeutic candidates targeting ferroptosis, an emerging new anti-cancer mechanism resulting in iron-mediated cell death for treatment-resistant cancers.

IPO Quiet Period Expiry

Genenta Science S.p.A. (NASDAQ:GNTA)

Immix Biopharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:IMMX)

Bionomics Limited (NASDAQ:BNOX)

Related Link: Pfizer's Oral COVID-19 Antiviral Treatment Paxlovid Approved For Use In UK

Preannouncements Season Kicks In

Given the fourth-quarter earnings will kickstart in earnest in late January, there could be a slew of preannouncements that could move stocks.

Watch Out For Market Moving News From The JPM Healthcare Conference:

The 3-day healthcare conference hosted by JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) gets underway on Monday. The annual affair is usually an in-person conference held in San Francisco, California. This time around, the conference has been moved to a virtual format after several companies dropped out due to omicron concerns.

The conference is the largest and most informative health care investment symposium in the industry, connecting global industry leaders, emerging fast-growth companies, innovative technology creators, and investment community members.

Several companies are expected to make preannouncements and announce clinical updates at the conference. The focus is on presentations by companies about how they will navigate through another pandemic year amid the emergence of the omicron variant. Off-the-record negotiations, deals, and strategic discussions are also part of the conference.

Related Link: Attention Biotech Investors: Mark Your Calendar For January PDUFA Dates