Idenix (IDIX) loses 27 cents to $9.81 and an investor apparently sells 8,000 July 7.5 puts on the biotech at 55 cents to buy 8,000 Jul 12.5 – 17.5 call spread for 90 cents. The three-way, for a 35 cent (register to read more …) [...]

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Auxillium Pharmaceuticals (AUXL) is up 44 cents to $18.62 and a May – Jun 20 call spread is apparently bought on the stock for $1.30, 2324X. The activity probably rolls a bullish position after the Malvern, PA biotech released earnings (register to read more …) [...]

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Protalix BioTherapeutics (PLX) is up 81 cents to $7 in active trading of more than 10 million shares and implied volatility in the options on the biotech is down sharply after the FDA approved an orphan drug for treating Gaucher (register to read more …) [...]

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Pfizer (PFE) loses 19 cents to $22.89 on relatively light volume of 23 million shares, even as the drugmaker’s quarterly earnings report looms. The company is due to report tomorrow morning. Options on the stock are busy ahead of the (register to read more …) [...]

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Onyx Pharmaceuticals (ONXX) sees a morning spike and rallies to 52-week highs on high volume of 5.7 million shares after Reuters ran a piece suggesting Bayer might be intrest in the biotech. ONXXY is up $4 to $47.44 and ptions (register to read more …) [...]

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Sequenom (SQNM) adds 35 cents to $5.03 on heavy volume of 4 million shares and options order flow on the biotech is bullish Friday, with 4,300 calls and 400 puts traded so far — a ratio of more than ten-to-one. (register to read more …) [...]

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Neucrine Biosciences (NBIX) loses 67 cents to $8.32 and one strategist sells 5,000 Apr 7 puts on the stock at 10 cents per contract and sold 10,000 April 9 calls at 30 cents. The 1X2 strangle probably offsets a position (register to read more …) [...]

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Arena Pharmaceuticals (ARNA) is rallying today and implied volatility in the options on the stock is up sharply amid high call volume after the European Medicines Agency accepted the biotech’s Lorcaserin as a weight loss drug. ARNA is up 57 (register to read more …) [...]

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Targacept (TRGT) is off $1.83 to $5.58 on heavy volume of 5.3 million shares after the company, along with partner Astrazenca, halted the development of an experimental antidepressant following disappointing results from a late-stage trial. TRGT tanked on the news (register to read more …) [...]

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Illumina (ILMN) ticks 31 cents higher to $50.24 in active trading of 1.1 million shares after the company filed a proxy statement and sent a letter urging that stockholders reject Roche’s hostile takeover attempt. Options on the biotech are seeing (register to read more …) [...]

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