Healthcare stocks have taken a beating this year, but there are still bargains to be had. These two stocks may be ready to make a comeback:
1. Valeant Pharmaceuticals (VRX)
Valeant’s stock is down more than 75% over the last 12 months, but the company’s problems began in 2015 after its drug pricing came under scrutiny. Hillary Clinton attacked the company in a television advertisement, accusing Valeant of predatory pricing and claimed she would be going after the company.
Valeant’s working relationship with Philidor also came into question, but it ultimately cut its ties with the specialty pharmacy.
Severing ties with Philidor left Valeant without a distributor, but it managed to quickly strike a deal with Walgreens Boost Alliance (WBA).
Valeant expects to turn a profit this year, and now has a CEO with an excellent track record. It also has 18 products in late-stage studies, so a comeback may be in the near future.
2. Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS)
Ionis shares are down around 65% on the year, partly due to GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) decision to shelve a planned phase 3 study of the IONIS-TTRrx drug aimed at treating patients with TTR amyloid cardiomyopathy.
Glaxo cited safety concerns from the FDA as reasoning for putting the study on hold.
Once more data is available, there’s a good chance that Glaxo will proceed with the study. The company also has other drugs in late-stage studies and has licensed rights to another drug to Kastle Therapeutics.
