Connecture Inc (CNXR), Hyperion Therapeutics Inc (HPTX): Top 5 Healthcare Picks of Great Point Partners

Alimera Sciences Inc (NASDAQ:ALIM) lands in third, with Great Point reporting year-end ownership of 2.62 million shares, unchanged from the previous quarter. Alimera Sciences is a stock other funds have also started to take notice of, with James E. Flynn’s Deerfield Management upping its stake in the company to 2.4 million shares early in the fouth quarter, and to 4.05 million shares by the end of it, an increase of 119% over the quarter. Deerfield and Alimera also entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement during the quarter. Alimera Sciences, which is focused on the research and development of prescription ophthalmic pharmaceuticals is down 6.14% year-to-date.

Ocera Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:OCRX) lands in fourth, with Great Point increasing its stake in the clinical stage biopharmaceutical company by 5% during the fourth quarter, to 1.96 million shares. Ocera’s leading drug candidate is OCR-002, an ammonia scavenger treatment for those suffering from Hepatic Encephalopathy (HE), a condition that arises from various forms of liver disease. The treatment has been granted orphan drug designation (treatment for a rare disease) and has been fast-tracked by the U.S Food and Drug Administration. Signs of HE are observed in as many as 70% of patients suffering from cirrhosis of the liver. VHCP Management, another fund we recently began tracking, was also an investor in Ocera Therapeutics, with ownership of 703,700 shares at the end of 2014.

Derma Sciences Inc (NASDAQ:DSCI) rounds out Great Point’s top five, as the fund owned 1.19 million shares worth $11.04 million at the end of 2014. Derma Sciences manufactures products and devices for the skin care and wound management sector, including the skin substitutes sector, with its licensed products AMNIOEXCELand AMNIOMATRIX. It also manufactures MEDIHONEY, a honey-based dressing for the treatment of wounds and burns. Derma Sciences is down over 14% in 2015 following mediocre earnings results on January 8 that showed stagnant growth in its Traditional Wound Care products, and single-digit growth in overall sales. 

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