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

The healthcare sector has returned 3.5 per cent for the last two weeks, compared to the broader market which rose by 0.25 per cent.

On the COVID-19 front, a study in Boston showed the Moderna jab could reduce infection rates in just eight days after the first dose.

That’s good news for Australia, because according to Health Minister Greg Hunt, more than 1,000 pharmacies and 850 regional clinics will have the Moderna shot available to them by October.

In other good news, the clinical trial for Novavax has shown more than 93 per cent effectivenes against COVID-19.

Novavax will supply 51 million doses to Australia from late 2021, and to do that, it’s trying to find a manufacturing partner here in the country.

Speaking of doing biotech here in the country, there is a growing push from major pharmas to make conducting clinical trials in Australia easier.

Both Pfizer and AstraZeneca have told a Senate Committee that Australia needs a review of its approval processes for new drugs, saying we are at an “inflection point” to remain competitive as a clinical trials destination.

In ASX biotech, the news of the week came out of Patrys (ASX:PAB).

The company announced this week that new preclinical data for its deoxymab antibody, PAT-DX1, has been published in the leading, peer-reviewed Journal of Clinical Investigation—Insight.

The data demonstrated the ability of Patrys’ PAT-DX1 antibody to cross the blood-brain barrier, which could significantly inhibit the growth of both primary and secondary cancers in the brain.

Patrys said it’s on track for the first human study of PAT-DX1 in 2022, and its share price made it the best performing biotech stock over the past two weeks, surging by more than 65 per cent.

Here’s a table showing how the rest of the ASX-listed healthcare stocks have been performing.

Code Company Price % 2 Week return % 1 Yr return Market cap
PAB Patrys Limited 0.051 65 295 $93M
VBS Vectus Biosystems 1.3 40 81 $38M
ONE Oneview Healthcare 0.555 35 1491 $242M
PTX Prescient Ltd 0.2 33 264 $125M
LCT Living Cell Tech. 0.014 23 27 $7M
AHC Austco Healthcare 0.12 20 71 $34M
SUD Suda Pharmaceuticals 0.048 17 35 $20M
TLX Telix Pharmaceutical 5.37 17 325 $1584M
IDT IDT Australia Ltd 0.33 16 106 $94M
NSB Neuroscientific 0.345 15 92 $52M
RNO Rhinomed Ltd 0.155 15 94 $39M
UBI Universal Biosensors 0.8 14 281 $142M
CTE Cryosite Limited 0.4 11 208 $19M
LSH Lifespot Health Ltd 0.11 11 224 $19M
ACR Acrux Limited 0.1375 10 -19 $40M
ACW Actinogen Medical 0.16 10 580 $241M
BNO Bionomics Limited 0.22 10 277 $207M
MEM Memphasys Ltd 0.071 9 27 $54M
IMU Imugene Limited 0.34 8 997 $1657M
S66 Star Combo 0.25 6 -44 $34M
PNV Polynovo Limited 2.75 6 12 $1819M
OCC Orthocell Limited 0.605 6 68 $116M
JHC Japara Healthcare Lt 1.24 6 143 $333M
CMP Compumedics Limited 0.4 5 -9 $68M
MDR Medadvisor Limited 0.305 5 -37 $113M
NEU Neuren Pharmaceut. 1.335 5 -15 $152M
BXN Bioxyne Ltd 0.024 4 118 $15M
NTI Neurotech Intl 0.055 4 588 $38M
ATH Alterity Therap Ltd 0.03 3 100 $57M
ONT 1300 Smiles Limited 7.1 3 36 $168M
MVP Medical Developments 4.76 3 -40 $343M
AGH Althea Group 0.335 3 -6 $84M
M7T Mach7 Tech Limited 1.03 3 12 $243M
CBL Control Bionics 0.545 3 $27M
KZA Kazia Therapeutics 1.31 3 191 $172M
LBT LBT Innovations 0.083 2 -51 $24M
OSX Osteopore Limited 0.45 2 0 $34M
BD1 Bard1 Life Sciences 1.82 2 109 $147M
BWX BWX Limited 5.25 2 46 $727M
AMT Allegra Orthopaedics 0.255 2 143 $27M
BIT Biotron Limited 0.051 2 -36 $37M
ICS ICSGlobal Limited 2.19 1 21 $23M
1ST 1St Group Ltd 0.021 0 -32 $9M
AHK Ark Mines Limited 0.034 0 0 $2M
ALT Analytica Limited 0.0025 0 0 $9M
FFC Farmaforce Ltd 0.07 0 0 $9M
GTG Genetic Technologies 0.008 0 33 $72M
HCT Holista CollTech Ltd 0.063 0 -52 $18M
HXL Hexima 0.16 0 -48 $19M
IMC Immuron Limited 0.16 0 -52 $36M
JTL Jayex Technology Ltd 0.03 0 43 $7M
NC6 Nanollose Limited 0.091 0 146 $14M
TD1 Tali Digital Limited 0.03 0 11 $28M
PAR Paradigm Bio. 2.07 -1 -43 $476M
EZZ EZZ Life Science 0.465 -1 $6M
ALC Alcidion Group Ltd 0.425 -1 158 $440M
4DX 4Dmedical Limited 1.28 -1 $273M
RAC Race Oncology Ltd 3.71 -1 635 $537M
MX1 Micro-X Limited 0.33 -1 154 $147M
OSL Oncosil Medical 0.061 -2 -53 $49M
EYE Nova EYE Medical Ltd 0.3 -2 -5 $43M
PSQ Pacific Smiles Grp 2.7 -2 74 $431M
SDI SDI Limited 0.93 -2 28 $111M
CYC Cyclopharm Limited 2.64 -2 96 $247M
PBP Probiotec Limited 2.13 -2 12 $167M
CAJ Capitol Health 0.345 -3 44 $355M
MVF Monash IVF Group Ltd 0.83 -3 48 $325M
CDY Cellmid Limited 0.062 -3 -44 $12M
PYC PYC Therapeutics 0.155 -3 49 $493M
EXL Elixinol Wellness 0.135 -4 -29 $43M
PAL Palla Pharma Ltd 0.375 -4 -51 $61M
ADO Anteotech Ltd 0.235 -4 1019 $410M
GSS Genetic Signatures 1.2 -4 -39 $170M
SOM SomnoMed Limited 2.37 -4 70 $196M
BPH BPH Energy Ltd 0.081 -5 449 $54M
DOC Doctor Care Anywhere 0.89 -5 $161M
CPH Creso Pharma Ltd 0.1475 -5 243 $154M
CHM Chimeric Therapeutic 0.285 -5 $56M
ZNO Zoono Group Ltd 0.655 -5 -77 $108M
AVE Avecho Biotech Ltd 0.017 -6 143 $33M
BOT Botanix Pharma Ltd 0.066 -6 53 $65M
ANP Antisense Therapeut. 0.2 -6 186 $112M
PCK Painchek Ltd 0.064 -6 -51 $71M
SCU Stemcell United Ltd 0.016 -6 33 $17M
NOX Noxopharm Limited 0.6575 -6 237 $190M
CYP Cynata Therapeutics 0.535 -6 -17 $79M
AT1 Atomo Diagnostics 0.155 -6 -49 $61M
ATX Amplia Therapeutics 0.225 -6 103 $28M
EPN Epsilon Healthcare 0.15 -6 -56 $29M
OSP Osprey Med Inc 0.015 -6 36 $38M
RGS Regeneus Ltd 0.075 -6 19 $24M
ZLD Zelira Therapeutics 0.045 -6 -17 $54M
AC8 Auscann Grp Hlgs Ltd 0.1075 -7 -33 $48M
PGC Paragon Care Limited 0.285 -7 128 $95M
VLS Vita Life Sciences.. 1.12 -7 93 $60M
CAN Cann Group Ltd 0.385 -7 -59 $108M
ARX Aroa Biosurgery 1.02 -7 $304M
ICR Intelicare Holdings 0.19 -7 -46 $9M
SHG Singular Health 0.315 -7 $19M
CGS Cogstate Ltd 1.25 -7 233 $215M
IMM Immutep Ltd 0.565 -8 265 $411M
PAA Pharmaust Limited 0.089 -8 -36 $29M
RHY Rhythm Biosciences 0.915 -9 1160 $184M
PXS Pharmaxis Ltd 0.072 -9 4 $33M
PIQ Proteomics Int Lab 0.945 -9 115 $104M
RSH Respiri Limited 0.077 -9 -8 $51M
MMJ MMJ Group Hlds Ltd 0.08 -10 -30 $18M
ILA Island Pharma 0.31 -10 $13M
RCE Recce Pharmaceutical 0.97 -10 29 $170M
DXB Dimerix Ltd 0.215 -10 -44 $44M
OPT Opthea Limited 1.27 -10 -55 $458M
ADR Adherium Ltd 0.017 -11 -19 $34M
IPD Impedimed Limited 0.1025 -11 44 $157M
MDC Medlab Clinical Ltd 0.16 -11 10 $51M
OVN Oventus Medical Ltd 0.1 -11 -68 $22M
NYR Nyrada Inc. 0.29 -12 76 $31M
VHT Volpara Health Tech 1.08 -12 -18 $274M
TRU Truscreen 0.064 -12 $23M
IVX Invion Ltd 0.014 -13 100 $78M
IBX Imagion Biosys Ltd 0.1 -13 194 $102M
APH AP Hemp Ltd 0.39 -13 212 $29M
DVL Dorsavi Ltd 0.026 -13 172 $9M
RAP Resapp Health Ltd 0.044 -14 -77 $39M
IHL Incannex Healthcare 0.245 -14 410 $260M
MXC Mgc Pharmaceuticals 0.04 -15 82 $92M
RHT Resonance Health 0.155 -15 -11 $69M
NXS Next Science Limited 1.545 -15 22 $309M
1AD Adalta Limited 0.135 -16 53 $33M
MEB Medibio Limited 0.007 -18 17 $13M
VTIDA Vision Tech, Inc 1.07 -18 -24 $25M
CDX Cardiex Limited 0.0755 -20 228 $72M
OIL Optiscan Imaging 0.215 -26 451 $129M
GLH Global Health Ltd 0.525 -34 163 $25M
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Vectus Biosystems (ASX:VBS) was another star performer in the past two weeks, rising by 40 per cent, after receiving an approval to conduct a Phase 1 human trial in Australia for VB0004. The trial will study the safety and efficacy of VB0004 on patients with hypertension.

Oneview Healthcare (ASX:ONE) rose by 35 per cent in two weeks after announcing that its largest customer in Australia, Epworth HealthCare, has signed a new five-year contract extension. The company has also signed Melbourne-based Northern Health as its first Cloud Start customer in Australia.

Suda Pharma (ASX:SUD) lifted by 40 per cent after announcing an oversubscribed $3.65 million capital raise to fund the initial development of its newly acquired iNKT cell therapy platform.

 

Other healthcare announcements you might have missed

Acrux (ASX:ACR)

The FDA has signed off on Acrux’s generic version of Jublia, a treatment for nail fungus delivered topically (via the skin). The company says it will now seek a commercial licensee to launch it to the US market.

NeuroScientific Biopharma (ASX:NSB)

NSB has partnered with Perth-based clinical contract research organisation Linear Clinical Research, to commence Phase I clinical trials of lead drug candidate EmtinB in the second half of 2021. The planned trial will be a first-in-human study of EmtinB in healthy volunteers with the primary end point of assessing safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics to treat Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis.

Actinogen Medical (ASX:ACW)

The company’s shares went even higher on Wednesday after positive feedback in relation to a pre-Investigational New Drug (pre-IND) submission on Xanamem drug that fights Fragile X syndrome (FXS). The FDA told the company its data package and trial design are sufficient for a formal IND submission, which it plans to file next quarter. The ACW share price has almost doubled over the past month.