Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech (SVA) jumped 17.3% to $2.37 after it said the preliminary results of a Phase I clinical trial showed that its vaccine against the H5N1 strain of avian flu had a high safety and immunogenicity profile.


The result proves that the vaccine with different dosages can induce an immune response, of which the vaccine contained 10ug antigen has been proved to have the best immunogenicity with the sero positive rate of 78.3%, which exceeds the EU CHMP criteria for seasonal influenza vaccines (greater or equals to 70%). There is no serious adverse event reported on the 120 volunteers and it is proved that the vaccine is well tolerated and immunogenic.

Epix Pharmaceuticals (EPIXD) dropped after it received a letter from the Food and Drug Administration denying its formal appeal to approve its novel blood-pool imaging agent Vasovist and turning down the company's request for an advisory committee review. Shares of Epix were lower by 12.9% to $6.28.

Shares of Corcept Therapeutics (CORT) were weaker for a second day, falling 10.4% to $1.38. The stock plunged Friday after the company announced negative results from a clinical trial on its experimental psychotic depression drug Corlux.