ISIS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISIS) presented results from a global, multi-center, open-label, comparator-controlled phase II study in patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery or total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Two doses of ISIS-FXIRx (200mg, 300mg) were compared to Sanofi’s Lovenox (enoxaparin). ISIS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISIS) stock performance was 11.26% in last session and finished the day at $27.81. Traded volume was 4,554,523 shares in the last session and the average volume of the stock remained 2.54 million shares. The beta of the stock remained 1.14. ISIS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISIS) insider ownership is 0.10%.

PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PTCT)’s shares surged Friday after the company’s drug Translarna moved closer to approval in the European Union. A panel that advises the EU’s drug and medical device agency said it believes Translarna should get conditional marketing approval. The drug is designed to treat a type of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare and fatal genetic disease. The South Plainfield, New Jersey-based company expects a ruling within three months. Shares of PTC Therapeutics Inc., which does not have any, approved drugs, gained $4.98, or 33 percent, to $21.30 in afternoon trading. PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PTCT) rose 30.74 percent to $20.03 yesterday on volume of 10,172,233 shares. The intra-day range of the stock was $19.80 to $28.75. PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PTCT) has a market capitalization of $602.39 million.

Competition in the obesity market could well increase this year with the FDA expected to deliver a decision regarding Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:OREX) NB32 (formerly known as Contrave) by Jun 10. The annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (TATD) meeting is round the corner; several companies are gearing up to present data at the conference. Last week, quite a few companies presented abstracts of data that will be discussed at ASCO. Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:OREX)’s stock on May 23, 2014 reported an increase of 5.35% to the closing price of $5.71. Its fifty two weeks range is $4.59 -$7.84. The total market capitalization recorded $664.23 million. The overall volume in the last trading session was 2,398,573 shares. In its share capital, Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:OREX) has 116.32 million outstanding shares.

CytRx Corporation (NASDAQ:CYTR)’s shares gained 4.15% to $3.77. Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC (“KSF”) and KSF partner, the former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., on May 9 reminded investors with large financial interests that they have only until May 13, 2014 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against CytRx Corporation (NASDAQ: CYTR). Investor losses must relate to purchases of the Company’s securities during the period of November 22, 2013 and March 13, 2014, inclusive. This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. On Friday, shares of CytRx Corporation (NASDAQ:CYTR) advanced 5.25% to close the day at $3.81. Company return on investment (ROI) is -257.90% and its monthly performance is recorded as 19.81%. CytRx Corporation (NASDAQ:CYTR) quarterly revenue growth is -32.45%.

ZIOPHARM Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ:ZIOP) presented encouraging data on its oncology candidate Ad-RTS-IL-12 at the annual meeting of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT). The company stated that Ad-RTS-IL-12 demonstrated potent anti-tumor and anti-cancer stem cell effects in glioma (brain cancer) preclinical and clinical studies. ZIOPHARM is planning to initiate a phase I study on Ad-RTS-IL-12 for brain cancer. ZIOPHARM Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ:ZIOP)’s stock on May 23, 2014 reported an increase of 7.69% to the closing price of $3.36. Its fifty two weeks range is $1.80 -$5.58. The total market capitalization recorded $338.44 million. The overall volume in the last trading session was 1,960,087 shares. In its share capital, ZIOPHARM Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ:ZIOP) has 100.72 million outstanding shares.