Alere Inc (ALR), Lion Biotech (LBIO), Genocea Biosciences Inc (GNCA), Advaxis Inc (ADXS) Among Broadfin’s Top New Health Picks

Kevin Kotler has initiated a stake in Lion Biotechnologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:LBIO), amounting to 1.06 million shares, valued at $12.87 million. The biotechnology company’s activity is about developing and commercializing adoptive cell therapy (ACT) for the treatment of metastatic melanoma and other types of solid cancers. Lion Biotechnologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:LBIO) has a market cap of $488.37 million and registered a loss of $0.14 per share for the first quarter of 2015, versus a loss of $0.11 a year earlier. Other shareholders of Lion Biotechnologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:LBIO), among the funds we track, include Daniel Gold’s QVT Financial and Baker Bros. Advisors, which initiated stakes with 1.33 million shares each during the first quarter.

Genocea Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GNCA) represents another new acquisition of Broadfin Capital. Kotler’s new stake contains 1.04 million shares, valued at $12.28 million. Genocea Biosciences is a clinical-stage company, with a market cap of $264.92 million, which develops T cell vaccines and immunotherapies for a range of infectious diseases, cancers and autoimmune diseases. For the first quarter, Genocea Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GNCA) posted a loss of $0.64 per share, which is $0.12 less, compared to the net loss per share posted for the same period of 2014. Among the funds we track, we found James E. Flynn’s Deerfield Management with 844,257 shares, and Ghost Tree Capital, managed by Ken Greenberg And David Kim, with 420,000 shares of Genocea Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GNCA).

Broadfin Capital also has a new position in Advaxis, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADXS), a company interested in discovery, development and commercialization of LLO immunotherapies in the clinical stage. According to the most recent 13F filing, Kevin Kotler acquired 805,994 shares of the company, valued at $11.64 million. According to the financial report for the quarter ended on January 31, 2015, the company has registered $7.03 million in losses, or $0.33 per share, which is slightly lower than a loss of $0.37 per share a year earlier. Recently, Advaxis, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADXS) has signed a collaboration with Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SRNE) to evaluate combinations of Advaxis’s Lm-LLO cancer immunotherapy technology platform with Sorrento’s fully human antibodies targeting immune checkpoints. Adage Capital Management, run by Phill Gross and Robert Atchinson and Bihua Chen’s Cormorant Asset Management are also shareholders of Advaxis, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADXS) with stakes respectively valued at $74.21 million and $14.08 million.

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