Pre-Open Stock Movers:
Virios Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VIRI) 63% LOWER; announced topline results from its FORTRESS (Fibromyalgia Outcome Research Trial Evaluating Synergistic Suppression of Herpes Simplex Virus-1 (HSV-1)) study of oral IMC-1 for the treatment of FM. Overall, the FORTRESS study did not achieve statistical significance on the prespecified primary efficacy endpoint of change from baseline to Week 14 in the weekly average of daily self-reported average pain severity scores comparing IMC-1 to placebo (p=0.302). However, analysis of the data suggests a bifurcation of response based on the timing of patient enrollment in the FORTRESS trial. During the first half of the trial (June 2021 to November 2021), for the patients who were enrolled (n=208) when the Delta variant of COVID-19 was the dominant strain in the U.S., IMC-1 demonstrated no improvement versus placebo-treated patients.
Purple Innovation, Inc. (NASDAQ:PRPL) 44% HIGHER; Confirmed that on September 17, 2022 it received an unsolicited, non-binding proposal from Coliseum Capital Management, LLC to acquire all of the outstanding capital stock of Purple for $4.35 per share.
BioLineRx Ltd (NASDAQ:BLRX) 32% LOWER; entered into definitive agreements with several institutional investors for the issuance and sale in a registered direct offering of 13,636,365 of the Company's American Depositary Shares (ADSs) and warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 13,636,365 ADSs, at a combined purchase price of $1.10 per ADS and associated warrant. Each ADS represents fifteen (15) ordinary shares.
Knowbe4 Inc (NASDAQ:KNBE) 30% HIGHER; received a non-binding proposal from Vista Equity Partners Management, LLC to acquire all of the outstanding shares of KnowBe4 not already owned by Vista for a price of $24.00 per share, payable in cash.
Allakos Inc. (NASDAQ:ALLK) 12% HIGHER; announced the pricing of an underwritten offering of 29,882,000 shares of its common stock at an offering price of $5.02 per share.
Broadwind Energy Inc (NASDAQ:BWEN) 9% HIGHER; announced that the Company has received $38 million in new tower orders from a leading global wind turbine manufacturer.
Wix.com (NASDAQ:WIX) 6% HIGHER; Activist hedge fund Starboard Value confirmed a 9% stake.
Bluebird bio Inc (NASDAQ:BLUE) 6% HIGHER; announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Accelerated Approval of SKYSONA® (elivaldogene autotemcel), also known as eli-cel, to slow the progression of neurologic dysfunction in boys 4-17 years of age with early, active cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD). The Company also confirmed that the previous clinical hold on the eli-cel clinical development program has been lifted.
Take-Two Interactive Software (NASDAQ:TTWO) 3% LOWER; a major leak showed over 90 videos of the Grand Theft 6 blockbuster.
AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) 3% HIGHER; reported Q4 EPS of $40.51, $2.00 better than the analyst estimate of $38.51. Revenue for the quarter came in at $5.3 billion versus the consensus estimate of $5.15 billion.