Shares of Caladrius Biosciences (NASDAQ:CLBS) are up more than twofold in pre-market trading on Wednesday morning. The move is poised to set a new 52-week high for CLBS stock as broader markets look ready to open higher.
Today’s move follows yesterday’s announcement by the biopharma company that it has treated its first patient for coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD). It is now kicking off its Phase 2 trial and hopes to complete enrollment for the study by the end of this year.
CMD — sometimes called small artery disease or small vessel disease — is heart disease that affects the walls and inner lining of tiny coronary artery blood vessels that branch off from the larger coronary arteries. While the condition is most common among women, especially after menopause, men can also have CMD, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Watch Stocks With Women’s Health Focus
CLBS stock is one of a number of biopharma stocks that are coming into sharper focus because of the underlying fundamentals related to women’s health. It’s not lost on many investors that the incoming Biden administration has made explicit its commitment to science and research.
Changes made by President Donald Trump in Title X family planning programs cast a cloud over a broader group of women’s health initiatives. A Biden White House promises to bring renewed energy and effort to women’s health policy issues in 2021.
The pandemic has also increased awareness of treatment for coronary disease as women and minority populations susceptible to coronary disease tended to be among the hardest hit by health issues and job losses.
Interestingly, Caladrius said that “even during the COVID-19 pandemic, physicians and patients are active in our trial, denoting the seriousness of the disease and underscoring the lack of available effective treatment for CMD.”
Beware CLBS Stock Volatility and Lack of Coverage
Is this a stock for your portfolio? To be sure, clinical-stage drug developers can be a volatile holding. Add to that the near-absence of analyst coverage — the company cites five firms following while TipRanks shows only one — and most investors would likely avoid these shares.
Yet, even at current levels, CLBS stock presents an affordable and intriguing play on coronary disease treatment in general, and women’s health in particular.
On the date of publication, Robert Lakin did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.
InvestorPlace contributor Robert Lakin is a veteran financial writer and editor, following fintech, agtech and property tech startups.
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