NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / February 22, 2017 / The Biotech Industry's rally does not appear to be losing any steam in 2017. Both the iShares NASDAQ Biotechnology Index ETF and the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF have just posted four consecutive weekly gains, the first time since August 2016 (iShares) and June 2016 (SPDR). While President Trump has also commented on high drug prices, the landscape appears to be easing for the industry in 2017, as Trump has also promised to speed up the FDA's approval process and has promised a "phenomenal" tax plan for American businesses, although the market is still awaiting detailed announcements.

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Additionally, the industry has seen a number of mergers and acquisition deals already completed this year. In January, Takeda Pharmaceutical announced a deal to acquire Ariad for $24.00 per share in cash, or approximately $5.2 billion, a premium of roughly 75 percent. The amount of M&A deals is expected to pick up rapidly in 2017 as major drug makers look to boost up revenues.

"2017 is likely to push biopharma deal making to new heights," wrote Ernst & Young's Andrew Forman, in a research note titled M&A Outlook and Firepower Report 2017.

"Large drug companies have been making money doing things that are artificial and unsustainable. Like price increases, inversions, and financial engineering," says Brad Loncar, a cancer-company expert at Loncar Investments. "Because those things are coming to an end and the environment for the pharma industry is becoming much more challenging, companies are having a real problem posting revenue growth," says Loncar. "The only way they can get revenue growth is to buy it."

Let's Take a Closer Look at Today's Trending Tickers

Achillion Pharmaceuticals' shares gained 1.87 percent to close at $4.35 a share on Tuesday. The stock traded between $4.28 and $4.39 on volume of 1.76 million shares traded. Achillion intends to develop and commercialize factor D inhibitors for rare diseases. Achillion has nominated ACH-4471 in 2015 and initiated clinical development in February 2016. Achillion also discovered and developed a comprehensive portfolio of antivirals for the treatment of hepatitis C (HCV). On Thursday, February 16th, 2017, Milind Deshpande, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Achillion presented a corporate overview at the Leerink Partners 6th Annual Global Healthcare Conference in New York, NY.

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Pulmatrix shares dropped 10.47 percent to close at $3.59 a share on Tuesday. The stock traded between $3.58 and $4.09 on volume 1.60 million shares traded. The company is developing innovative inhaled therapies to address serious pulmonary disease using its patented iSPERSE technology. On January 17th, Pulmatrix announced that it had received the "Qualified Infectious Disease Product" (QIDP) from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for PUR1900, its drug candidate for treating fungal infections in the lungs of CF patients.

"The new QIDP designation is a significant boost to our efforts to make this drug available as quickly as possible to cystic fibrosis (CF) patients suffering from fungal lung infections," said Pulmatrix CEO Robert Clarke, PhD. "It will give us the benefit of an expedited regulatory review. Added to our existing FDA Orphan drug designation for PUR1900, it will give us a full 12 years of market exclusivity."

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Today's Features Includes:

Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACHN)

Pulmatrix Inc. (NASDAQ: PULM)

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