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Monday, June 1, 2020

Investors make a break for the civil unrest trade

Gun-related stocks are soaring after a weekend of civil unrest in the U.S.
American Outdoor Brands (NASDAQ:AOBC) is up 22.67% and Sturm, Ruger (NYSE:RGR) is 8.68% higher. Retailer Sportsman’s Warehouse Holdings (NASDAQ:SPWH) is 4.57% higher, Vista Outdoor (NYSE:VSTO) is showing a 12.15% gain and ammunition maker Olin (NYSE:OLN) is 3.91% higher. Meanwhile, taser maker Axon Enterprises (NASDAQ:AAXN) is rallying 8.98% and Big Five Sporting Goods (NASDAQ:BGFV) is up 8.60%.
Also on the move are gunshot detecting firm ShotSpotter (NASDAQ:SSTI) +3.40% and remote handcuff player Wrap technologies (NASDAQ:WRTC) +8.77%. On the homefront, ADT (NYSE:ADT) is 14.41% higher on the expectation for more home security business.
https://seekingalpha.com/news/3578986-investors-make-break-for-civil-unrest-trade

Anixa rallies on development of four COVID-19 candidates

Thinly traded nano cap Anixa Biosciences (NASDAQ:ANIX) is up 18% premarket on increased volume in reaction to its announcement that it and partner OntoChem GmbH have synthesized four compounds for the potential treatment of COVID-19.
Animal studies are next up. If successful, in-human trials will follow.
https://seekingalpha.com/news/3578993-anixa-rallies-on-development-of-four-covidminus-19-candidates

Proteostasis Therapeutics’ PTI-129 a potential COVID-19 candidate

Proteostasis Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PTI) is up 21% premarket after announcing results from in vitro studies evaluating the use of PTI-129 as a treatment for COVID-19.
PTI-129 is a pre-clinical, oral small molecule originally designed to treat protein misfolding disorders involving the unfolded protein response (UPR).
In in vitro studies conducted at Calibr, the drug discovery division of Scripps Research, PTI-129 demonstrated the potential to reduce viral protein production in host cells by activating the adaptive branches of the UPR pathway and reducing the levels of misfolded proteins.
https://seekingalpha.com/news/3578955-proteostasis-therapeutics-ptiminus-129-potential-covidminus-19-candidate

Tonix partners with FUJIFILM Diosynth on COVID-19 vaccine

FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies partners with Tonix Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:TNXP+7% to provide contract manufacturing and development services to support the manufacturing of TNX-1800, Tonix’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate for clinical trial supply.
In February, Tonix announced a strategic collaboration with Southern Research to support the development of TNX-1800 to protect against the new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, based on Tonix’s proprietary horsepox vaccine platform.
https://seekingalpha.com/news/3578961-tonix-partners-fujifilm-diosynth-on-covidminus-19-vaccine

Compugen on go with study of cancer triplet therapy

The FDA has signed off on Compugen’s (NASDAQ:CGEN) IND for a Phase 1/2 study evaluating the combination of COM701, an anti-PVRIG antibody, Bristol Myers Squibb’s Opdivo (nivolumab) and BMS-986207, the latter’s anti-TIGIT antibody, in patients with advanced solid tumors.
The trial, expected to launch in H2, will also accelerate the clinical evaluation of Compugen’s DNAM axis hypothesis and biomarker-driven approach in advanced solid tumors to broaden patient population response to cancer immunotherapy.

FDA OKs emergency use of Siemens COVID-19 blood test

The FDA has signed off on the emergency use of Siemens Healthineers’ (OTCPK:SMMNY) lab-based blood test that detects the presence of IgG and IgM antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The company says the test, run on automated high-throughput instruments, sports 100% sensitivity and 99.8% specificity.
The company is a bit late to the COVID-19 blood test game, already crowded with competitors.
https://seekingalpha.com/news/3578980-fda-oks-emergency-use-of-siemens-covidminus-19-blood-test

Opko Health to launch mid-stage study of Rayaldee in COVID-19

The FDA has signed off on a 166-subject Phase 2 clinical trial, REsCue, evaluating OPKO Health’s (NASDAQ:OPK) Rayaldee (calcifediol) in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19.
Participants will receive either Rayaldee or placebo for four weeks. The primary objective is to raise and maintain serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D within a range of 50-100 ng/mL in order to mitigate COVID-19 severity.
https://seekingalpha.com/news/3578950-opko-health-to-launch-mid-stage-study-of-rayaldee-in-covidminus-19