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It’s been a stellar year for the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (INDEXNASDAQ:

NBI

), which started at 3,763.05 points in January and reached a high of 4,811.03 points on December 15.

While the index has certainly had its share of ups and downs over the past few years, in 2020 it has increased nearly 29 percent since the start of the year — even soaring past the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:

.INX

) for another year in a row.

According to a

report

from Fior Markets, the global biotechnology market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7.02 percent between now and 2027 to reach a valuation of US$833.734 billion.

Driving that growth is an increase in in chronic disorders such as cancer, heart disease and hypertension as well as demand for diagnostics and therapeutic treatment options.

As the year comes to a close, the Investing News Network profiles the five top NASDAQ biotech stocks of the year and what drove their share prices over the course of 2020. Data was compiled on December 15, 2020, using TradingView’s

stock screener.

All NASDAQ biotech stocks on this list had market caps between US$50 million and US$500 million at that time.

1. Aptevo Therapeutics (NASDAQ:

APVO

)

Market cap: US$175.25 million; current share price: US$40.27; year-to-date gain: 345.71 percent

Aptevo Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel oncology and hematology immunotherapies. The biotech company has an expanding portfolio of clinical and preclinical candidates based on its ADAPTIR™ modular protein technology platform.

In November, Aptevo

announced


that

during its ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial for its lead candidate, APVO436 two patients have shown complete remission. APVO436 is a novel anti-CD123 x anti-CD3 targeted investigational bispecific antibody therapy under evaluation for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

Also in November, Aptevo

provided

an update on the development of ALG.APV-527, a novel immunotherapeutic bispecific candidate intended for the treatment of multiple solid tumors expressing 5T4, a tumor-restricted antigen. The company and its 50/50 partner Alligator Bioscience are advancing ALG.APV-527 into Phase 1 clinical development in multiple sites in the European Union with an anticipated filing of a Clinical Trial Authorization during the first half of 2021.

Aptevo

expanded

its portfolio even further in December with the addition of a new multi-specific platform technology, ADAPTIR-FLEX™. Based on this new platform, the company has developed a new bispecific candidate APVO442, a unique T-cell engager designed to target prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) and CD3 with low affinity for the treatment of prostate cancer, one of the most common forms of cancer in men.

2. Trinity Biotech (NASDAQ:

TRIB

)

Market cap: US$105 million; current share price: US$4.44; year-to-date gain: 326.75 percent

Trinity Biotech specializes in the development, manufacture and marketing of diagnostic systems, including reagents and test kits, for the clinical laboratory and point-of-care (POC) segments of the diagnostic market. The company sells its products directly in the United States, Germany, France and the U.K. as well as through a network of international distributors and partnerships in more than 75 countries.

In late summer, Trinity

announced

that it had filed for an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for its Covid-19 IgG ELISA antibody test with the FDA. The company is also developing a rapid POC Covid-19 test to detect antibodies to the virus.

In November, Trinity

released

its Q3 2020 financials, including total revenues for the quarter of US$32 million.

3. Cogent Biosciences (NASDAQ:

COGT

)

Market cap: US$365 million; current share price: US$10.39; year-to-date gain: 265.52 percent

Cogent Bioscience is designing precision therapeutics for diseases directly linked to genetic mutations. The company’s lead candidate is PLX9486 is a precision kinase inhibitor designed to selectively inhibit the KIT D816V mutation, which is responsible for Systemic Mastocytosis (ASM). Although rare, this condition can severely impact many different tissues and organs in the body. Cogent is also studying PLX9486 to treat advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST).

Formerly Unum Therapeutics, Cogent acquired PLX9486 through its July

acquisition

of the privately held Kiq LLC. In November, Cogent

reported

its Q3 2020 financials, which included ending the quarter with US$129.4 million in cash. Also in November, the company

announced

final positive results from its PLX9486 + sunitinib Phase 1/2 study in patients with advanced GIST.

Cogent plans to advance this drug combination into a Phase 3 GIST trial in the second half of 2021, after initiating a trial of PLX9486 in advanced ASM patients beginning in 1H 2021.

In December, Cogent

completed

an offering of common stock for aggregate proceeds of US$108.1 million.

4. Summit Therapeutics (NASDAQ:

SMMT

)

Market cap: US$450 million; current share price: US$5.36; year-to-date gain: 253.75 percent

Summit Therapeutics is developing new mechanism antibiotics for the patient-friendly treatment of infectious diseases. The company is currently developing new ntibiotics to treat infections caused by C. difficile, Enterobacteriaceae and N. gonorrhoeae,

In July, Summit Therapeutics

published

positive results from its Phase 2 clinical analyses of gut microbiome health. “The protective gut environment observed after ridinilazole treatment, compared to vancomycin, provides a strong rationale for the higher sustained clinical response observed in patients taking ridinilazole in the CoDIFy clinical trial,” said Dr. Ventzislav Stefanov, Executive Vice President and President of Summit subsidiary Discuva.

Summit

raised

US$50 million in a private placement in November.

5. Capricor Therapeutics (NASDAQ:

CAPR

)

Market cap: US$86.7 million; year-to-date gain: 229.69 percent; current share price: US$4.24

Capricor Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company working to develop and commercialize cell and exosome-based therapeutics for the treatment and prevention of diseases.

In May, Capricor

announced

positive top-line final results from HOPE-2 study in patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy treated with the company’s lead candidate CAP-1002, an allogeneic cell therapy. In August, the US FDA

accepted

Capricor’s investigational new drug (IND) application for a Phase 2 clinical trial of CAP-1002 in patients with COVID-19.

“As CAP-1002 directly targets cardiac dysfunction, CAP-1002 potentially may also be an important tool in the treatment of the cardiac complications of COVID-19, which represents a patient population with an unmet medical need,”said Linda Marbán, Ph.D., Capricor’s president and chief executive officer.

In November, Capricor

began

CAOP-1002 dosing of patients with severe COVID-19 as part of the above-mentioned Phase 2 trial.

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Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.