Whoa…First Solar, Inc. (FSLR), Microsoft Corporation (MSFT), Intel Corporation (INTC): What Just Happened to My Stock?

Hanging up on mobile growth
At least there was a firm basis for the 11% spike in Sarepta Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:SRPT)‘ shares as study results from GlaxoSmithKline plc (ADR) (NYSE:GSK)‘s drisapersen were published in a research abstract that suggests the path the two are taking is valid. Both drisapersen and Sarepta’s eteplirsen seek to treat patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy via an “exon skipping” mechanism, so if the one proves positive it holds out hope the other will too.

Genes are sections of DNA containing instructions for the production of one specific protein and are divided themselves into sections called exons and introns. When the introns are removed, the largest gene has 79 exons strung together, but sometimes one of them misses a beat and prevents it from being completed. The drugs from both Glaxo and Sarepta Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:SRPT) are designed to skip over exon 51 and bridge the gap with molecular patches that allow the gene to splice itself together to complete the sequencing.

Glaxo originally hadn’t planned to reveal its results until later this year, but with Sarepta due to report its own test results in a few weeks Glaxo undoubtedly felt pressured to come forward early. Because Sarepta Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:SRPT)’s testing was done with a relatively small sample size, it may not have been as well received, but now that Glaxo’s larger patient universe seems to validate the method, Sarepta’s own results, if equally positive, could also be considered sound.

There’s a lot of “what ifs” and “by extensions of” at play here, but investors are counting on Sarepta now being able to bridge the gap itself.

The article Whoa! What Just Happened to My Stock? originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Rich Duprey.

Fool contributor Rich Duprey owns shares of Intel. The Motley Fool recommends Google and Intel. The Motley Fool owns shares of Google, Intel, and Microsoft.

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