BioCryst (BCRX) shares surge on U.S. report

Shares of Ticker Trax Planetary Prospect BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: BCRX, Stock Forum) surged more than 15% to $11.58 Monday, as a group of White House advisers are calling for an accelerated decision on the availability of antiviral drugs.The company released no news Monday, but according to Reuters, a group of White House science advisers says that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration “should speed up decisions on approving intravenous formulations of flu drugs” including Tamiflu, Relenza and BioCryst’s experimental peramivir.

“We recommend that FDA accelerate a decision about the availability of antiviral drugs (peramivir, zanamivir, or oseltamivir) for intravenous use,” the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology said in its report to the President on U.S. preparations for 2009-H1N1 influenza.

The council also recommended accelerating the availability of a portion of the vaccine supply to mid-September by having manufacturers begin to “fill and finish” a subset of the bulk vaccine product.

According to the report, while the exact impact of H1N1 influenza in the fall is impossible to predict, the epidemic could produce infection of 30–50% of the U.S. population this fall and winter, with symptoms in approximately 20–40% of the population.

"This seems to be getting political to some extent in the United States. Still, from an investment point of view, BioCryst looks like it has a long way to go. We here at Ticker Trax are trying to ascertain what BioCryst will be charging for 300mg units of intravenous peramivir. Japan is also poised to approve the antiviral," says Thom Calandra of Ticker Trax.

Thom Calandra's Ticker Trax named BioCryst as a Planetary Prospect in December 2008 atg $1.70 a share. He and his family own 62,000 shares.