Check up: A good fortnight to be a small cap health investor

Here’s our fortnightly wrap of all the news driving ASX health stocks.

Of the ASX’s 133-odd small cap health stocks and of those which were trading on Wednesday, 90 were in positive territory over the last fortnight, 13 were flat and 33 saw their share prices fall.

Code	Name	Price $ (August 19)	2 week return %	1 year return %	Market cap
FTT	FACTOR THERAPEUTICS LTD	0.005	67	67	$5,214,178
NTI	NEUROTECH INTERNATIONAL LTD	0.016	60	-6	$3,959,450
IBX	IMAGION BIOSYSTEMS LTD	0.081	60	75	$71,641,960
KZA	KAZIA THERAPEUTICS LTD	0.83	59	134	$77,570,664
CDX	CARDIEX LTD	0.055	57	139	$46,073,580
BNO	BIONOMICS LTD	0.12	57	192	$65,749,516
BPH	BPH ENERGY LTD	0.032	45	234	$13,951,561
RHY	RHYTHM BIOSCIENCES LTD	0.115	44	-27	$16,648,938
ANR	ANATARA LIFESCIENCES LTD	0.2	41	-17	$9,472,674
CPH	CRESO PHARMA LTD	0.041	35	-90	$15,388,018
ATH	ALTERITY THERAPEUTICS LTD	0.062	35	114	$67,270,248
UBI	UNIVERSAL BIOSENSORS INC-CDI	0.325	30	63	$57,710,852
PXS	PHARMAXIS LTD	0.11	29	-45	$43,477,960
DXB	DIMERIX LTD	0.6	28	532	$118,649,576
MEM	MEMPHASYS LTD	0.135	27	175	$105,556,344
CGS	COGSTATE LTD	0.73	27	288	$124,205,968
CYP	CYNATA THERAPEUTICS LTD	0.81	25	-52	$92,527,960
PAA	PHARMAUST LTD	0.24	24	177	$72,587,096
LCT	LIVING CELL TECHNOLOGIES LTD	0.017	21	-23	$9,714,497
OCC	ORTHOCELL LTD	0.42	21	8	$79,458,392
ALT	ANALYTICA LTD	0.003	20	-25	$10,558,837
RSH	RESPIRI LTD	0.155	19	57	$101,190,168
MXC	MGC PHARMACEUTICALS LTD	0.026	18	-48	$42,416,840
MDC	MEDLAB CLINICAL LTD	0.17	18	-64	$46,146,484
VBS	VECTUS BIOSYSTEMS LTD	0.8	18	51	$18,923,852
NYR	NYRADA INC-CDI	0.215	16		$23,517,500
AGH	ALTHEA GROUP HOLDINGS LTD	0.375	16	-55	$86,324,704
PIQ	PROTEOMICS INTERNATIONAL LAB	0.655	15	143	$60,525,848
TLX	TELIX PHARMACEUTICALS LTD	1.4	15	9	$368,219,424
NXS	NEXT SCIENCE LTD	1.52	14	-45	$268,689,088
SVA	SIMAVITA LTD-CDI	0.024	14	100	$27,692,782
AVE	AVECHO BIOTECHNOLOGY LTD	0.008	14	100	$12,779,659
VLS	VITA LIFE SCIENCES LTD	0.705	14	4	$38,128,240
IDT	IDT AUSTRALIA LTD	0.18	13	29	$43,076,344
RNO	RHINOMED LTD	0.084	12	-72	$21,319,968
SUD	SUDA PHARMACEUTICALS LTD	0.048	12	-50	$14,680,654
IVX	INVION LTD	0.01	11	-33	$55,035,988
OIL	OPTISCAN IMAGING LTD	0.051	11	21	$24,366,718
NC6	NANOLLOSE LTD	0.053	10	-31	$5,604,750
GLH	GLOBAL HEALTH LTD	0.27	10	92	$11,366,546
ONT	1300 SMILES LTD	6.53	10	12	$154,619,840
JHL	JAYEX HEALTHCARE LTD	0.033	10	-3	$5,819,980
OSP	OSPREY MEDICAL INC-CDI	0.035	10	-45	$50,958,820
ZNO	ZOONO GROUP LTD	2.4	10	3378	$392,670,496
SOM	SOMNOMED LTD	1.43	9	-16	$118,345,824
M7T	MACH7 TECHNOLOGIES LTD	0.98	9	26	$229,689,168
HLA	HEALTHIA LTD	0.975	8	3	$61,458,788
SCU	STEMCELL UNITED LTD	0.013	8	-19	$8,340,909
NOX	NOXOPHARM LTD	0.33	8	-8	$70,369,392
CMP	COMPUMEDICS LTD	0.48	8	-34	$83,266,584
MVP	MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS INTERNA	6.65	8	36	$410,146,816
ALC	ALCIDION GROUP LTD	0.14	8	-10	$138,697,168
RGS	REGENEUS LTD	0.165	8	77	$38,895,500
CAN	CANN GROUP LTD	0.49	8	-73	$95,645,336
ICS	ICSGLOBAL LTD	1.89	7	122	$20,041,596
VTI	VISIONEERING TECH-CDI	0.016	7	-70	$15,509,062
IPD	IMPEDIMED LTD	0.08	7	-39	$82,794,344
CYC	CYCLOPHARM LTD	1.5	6	11	$120,411,680
BOT	BOTANIX PHARMACEUTICALS LTD	0.053	6	-75	$52,525,696
AT1	ATOMO DIAGNOSTICS LTD	0.38	6		$210,404,176
MVF	MONASH IVF GROUP LTD	0.555	6	-54	$220,143,680
1AD	ADALTA LTD	0.11	6	-7	$24,068,542
IMC	IMMURON LTD	0.38	5	259	$88,519,504
IMM	IMMUTEP LTD	0.195	5	-9	$97,526,184
PTX	PRESCIENT THERAPEUTICS LTD	0.065	5	51	$24,444,158
OSL	ONCOSIL MEDICAL LTD	0.115	5	89	$95,289,104
AMT	ALLEGRA ORTHOPAEDICS LTD	0.235	4	96	$24,532,246
DVL	DORSAVI LTD	0.025	4	-41	$5,554,261
PYC	PYC THERAPEUTICS LTD	0.12	4	243	$351,789,344
NSB	NEUROSCIENTIFIC BIOPHARMACEU	0.24	4	0	$18,812,300
TD1	TALI DIGITAL LTD	0.027	4	200	$20,231,240
RHT	RESONANCE HEALTH LTD	0.145	4	32	$64,347,220
AC8	AUSCANN GROUP HOLDINGS LTD	0.15	3	-59	$47,557,104
ATX	AMPLIA THERAPEUTICS LTD	0.15	3	98	$17,945,120
BD1	BARD1 LIFE SCIENCES LTD	0.032	3	10	$76,624,976
ACR	ACRUX LTD	0.175	3	-9	$26,986,474
AHX	APIAM ANIMAL HEALTH LTD	0.51	3	23	$58,881,552
PGC	PARAGON CARE LTD	0.175	3	-61	$59,129,928
CTE	CRYOSITE LTD	0.185	3	270	$8,669,019
PBP	PROBIOTEC LTD	2.07	2	37	$154,792,256
CAJ	CAPITOL HEALTH LTD	0.21	2	-1	$219,858,400
JHC	JAPARA HEALTHCARE LTD	0.485	2	-51	$126,942,480
RAC	RACE ONCOLOGY LTD	0.9	2	1277	$115,247,896
PAL	PALLA PHARMA LTD	0.895	2	-20	$112,723,440
OSX	OSTEOPORE LTD	0.61	2		$61,750,608
HCT	HOLISTA COLLTECH LTD	0.068	1	19	$18,723,738
SDX	SIENNA CANCER DIAGNOSTICS LT	0.07	1	17
ICR	INTELICARE HOLDINGS LTD	0.38	1		$27,701,888
PSQ	PACIFIC SMILES GROUP LTD	1.45	1	21	$222,597,552
ACW	ACTINOGEN MEDICAL LTD	0.026	0	213	$27,905,784
RAP	RESAPP HEALTH LTD	0.135	0	-10	$105,716,728
BXN	BIOXYNE LTD	0.011	0	-42	$7,041,600
ANP	ANTISENSE THERAPEUTICS LTD	0.078	0	54	$39,119,052
EYE	NOVA EYE MEDICAL LTD	0.31	0	12	$44,516,352
NEU	NEUREN PHARMACEUTICALS LTD	1.3	0	-3	$152,890,544
PAB	PATRYS LTD	0.013	0	-43	$18,591,574
IMU	IMUGENE LTD	0.056	0	162	$246,557,440
GTG	GENETIC TECHNOLOGIES LTD	0.0095	0	168	$82,617,264
EXL	ELIXINOL GLOBAL LTD	0.165	0	-92	$31,818,116
ADR	ADHERIUM LTD	0.03	0	58	$19,944,358
BWX	BWX LTD	4.145	0	82	$580,503,040
VHT	VOLPARA HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES	1.37	0	-4	$332,881,024
RCE	RECCE PHARMACEUTICALS LTD	1.29	-1	502	$186,698,592
OPT	OPTHEA LTD	2.45	-1	-8	$654,053,376
OVN	OVENTUS MEDICAL LTD	0.265	-2	-41	$41,939,540
MDR	MEDADVISOR LTD	0.485	-2	46	$118,424,656
MMJ	MMJ GROUP HOLDINGS LTD	0.095	-2	-61	$21,845,628
PNV	POLYNOVO LTD	2.205	-2	50	$1,474,226,304
ARX	AROA BIOSURGERY LTD	1.4	-2		$417,104,192
SDI	SDI LTD	0.68	-3	-3	$80,828,560
MEB	MEDIBIO LTD	0.011	-4	-21	$15,498,119
UCM	USCOM LTD	0.205	-5	105	$30,714,808
BIT	BIOTRON LTD	0.1	-5	37	$70,193,272
ESE	ESENSE-LAB LTD-CDI	0.018	-5	-31	$9,180,684
FFC	FARMAFORCE LTD	0.052	-5	-65	$6,696,091
1ST	1ST GROUP LTD	0.035	-6	-56	$14,436,975
ADO	ANTEOTECH LTD	0.052	-6	301	$85,380,048
LBT	LBT INNOVATIONS LTD	0.145	-6	41	$41,806,376
THC	THC GLOBAL GROUP LTD	0.255	-7	-41	$44,152,908
IHL	INCANNEX HEALTHCARE LTD	0.064	-8	-25	$46,876,668
CDY	CELLMID LTD	0.11	-8	-48	$13,777,155
ZLD	ZELIRA THERAPEUTICS LTD	0.054	-8	-18	$61,683,444
PAR	PARADIGM BIOPHARMACEUTICALS	2.72	-9	91	$624,145,984
AZV	AZURE HEALTHCARE LTD	0.07	-9	-12	$19,893,226
GSS	GENETIC SIGNATURES LTD	2.24	-9	110	$328,005,280
S66	STAR COMBO PHARMA LTD	0.33	-10	-42	$44,753,480
LSH	LIFESPOT HEALTH LTD	0.036	-10	-47	$3,516,246
MX1	MICRO-X LTD	0.16	-11	-45	$57,146,856
APH	AUSTRALIAN PRIMARY HEMP LTD	0.14	-13	-36	$9,765,719
CP1	CANNPAL ANIMAL THERAPEUTICS	0.115	-18	-32	$10,709,375
PCK	PAINCHEK LTD	0.11	-21	-41	$123,948,528
ONE	ONEVIEW HEALTHCARE PLC-CDI	0.052	-33	-74	$9,006,997
GMV	G MEDICAL INNOVATION HOLDING	0.042	-33	-65	$35,230,928

While the numbers weren’t high — let’s face it, small caps are capable of much more than a piddly 67 per cent rise in a fortnight — there were a lot of them in positive territory.

Not only have the health and life sciences players been delivering good news generally, but they’re also proving to be a good source of annual results.

But this fortnight, there’s been little rhyme or reason for the large scale upwards moves except that people are buying life sciences stocks.

Factor Therapeutics (ASX:FTT) investors were still buzzing about the company’s transformation into an animal imaging outfit, after that clinical trial which led to a near wipe out of the company’s value.

And clearly news leaked before Neurotech International (ASX:NTI) was able to go into a trading halt. It is still in the process of working out what to tell the ASX and how to release results of lab testing of its cannabis strains.

Imagion Biosystems (ASX:IBX) was all innocence last week when asked why its stock was rising so fast. One theory could be latecomers discovering the Imagion-tesla link.

While other companies may prefer to stay mum on why their stock is moving, BPH Energy (ASX:BPH) is one entity that always has an answer.

In this case the company claimed it was the non-life sciences arm doing the heavy lifting: “BPH notes that the National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator (NOPTA) has confirmed on its website that the application currently made by the Joint Venture Participants BUY and BPH for a suspension, variation and extension to the permit terms for PEP11 is in the final phase of decision process and is now with the Joint Authority for decision.”

With a bird flu outbreak underway in Victoria (factory farmed chickens aren’t great at social distancing), Anatara Lifesciences (ASX:ANR) was looking for partners to trial its necrotic enteritis, or chicken gastro, treatment.

It has since done a deal with the University of New England’s Poultry Hub Australia.

Coming in at #13 in the Check Up rankings is Pharmaxis (ASX:PXS), which actually had news that investors could (and were) buying into.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) completed a safety review of the company’s Investigational New Drug (IND) application for its pan‐LOX inhibitor PXS‐5505 and gave permission to proceed with a phase 1/2 clinical trial for treating myelofibrosis in adults.

The study is planned to start in the December quarter and expected to conclude in 2022.

And finally sperm separator Memphasys (ASX:MEM) has done a collaboration with Newcastle University to develop new products in niche reproductive biology applications.

With the Felix device on track for commercialisation later this year, Memphasys is now looking to extend its pipeline of products into diagnostics for animal fertility and semen oxidative stress, and development of long life sperm storage media.