Our Stock Picks That Surged Past $100

(RTTNews) - A strategy to maximize gains in biotech investing is by buying stocks awaiting clinical or regulatory catalysts at low prices and riding the rally. Some stocks experience a very impressive run - so much so that they climb from single/double-digit prices and hit $100 a share price tag within a few years, driven by favorable events.

Listed below are our stock picks that made it to the elite triple-digit price club after a decent rally.

Furiex Pharmaceuticals Inc. was trading around $16.35 when we alerted our readers to this stock on February 3, 2012. The company was awaiting the FDA's final word on its New Drug Applications for Type 2 diabetes therapies - Alogliptin and the fixed-dose combination of Alogliptin/Pioglitazone back then - with a decision scheduled for April 25, 2012, among other catalysts.

The favorable regulatory and clinical trial news in the months that followed drove the stock's price higher, and it touched a high of $121.97 on February 4, 2014.

Furiex Pharma was acquired for $95 per share and up to $30 per share in a Contingent Value Right in April 2014 by Forest Laboratories, which itself got bought by Actavis plc last February.

We alerted Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. to our readers on May 30, 2012 when it was trading around $45.85 based on the then pending events for its top cancer drug product Kyprolis.

A lot happened in the succeeding months and the stock touched a high of $136.87 on July 8, 2013.

Onyx was acquired by Amgen Inc. (AMGN) for $125 per share last August.

Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD) was trading around $28.25 when we profiled this stock on August 20, 2012. Thanks to a string of positive clinical trial results and favorable regulatory news, the stock price kept climbing and it touched a high of $116.83 on October 31, 2014.

Gilead's New Drug Application for an investigational, once-daily single tablet regimen containing elvitegravir 150 mg, cobicistat 150 mg, emtricitabine 200 mg and TAF 10 mg (E/C/F/TAF) for the treatment of HIV-1 infection is under FDA review, and a decision is scheduled for November 5, 2015.

GILD is currently trading at $101.06, down 0.24%.

We alerted United Therapeutics Corp. (UTHR) to our readers on February 25, 2013 when the stock was trading around $58.12.

After some initial setbacks for the company's oral Treprostinil as a treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension, the drug was approved by the FDA on December 20, 2013. Marketed as Orenitram, the drug is on track to become its best-selling product, according to United Therapeutics.

Last week, the FDA approved the company's Unituxin (dinutuximab) for the treatment of pediatric high-risk neuroblastoma.

UTHR, which has been setting new highs, touched an all-time high of $181.61 today and is currently trading at $180.12.

Puma Biotechnology Inc. (PBYI) was trading around $36.67 when we alerted our readers to the stock on June 14, 2013.

Since then, the company has achieved several clinical milestones by advancing its product candidate PB272 , as can be seen from the stock's current trading price of $248. The stock had touched an all-time high of $279.37 on August 26, 2014.

The company recently initiated a phase II trial of PB272 for the extended adjuvant treatment of breast cancer, and initial results from this trial are expected to be available by year-end 2015.

PBYI is currently trading at $249.54, up 0.48%.

Though many are usually wary of stocks trading above $100 , it may not be game over for all such high-priced stocks. Take for example our stock pick Intercept Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ICPT).

We alerted ICPT to our readers on January 14, 2015 when it was trading around $149, nearly 77% discount to its all-time high of $450. The stock has had a good run since then, and it touched a high of $301 yesterday.

ICPT is currently down 1.48% to $290.11.

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