NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Mar 2, 2012) - Biotechnology shares have been on impressive run of late. Led by the growing popularity in early stage biotechnology companies, the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Fund is up roughly 20 percent over the last three months. A recent survey from BIO Industry Analysis finds that investors are more focused on early stage companies than later. "And, this sentiment is also borne out by the increase in percentage of investors who indicate that they are willing to invest in small market cap biotechs," Alan Eisenberg, executive vice president of emerging companies and business development, explained. Five Star Equities examines investing opportunities in the Biotechnology Industry and provides equity research on Cell Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: [ CTIC ]) & Zalicus, Inc. (NASDAQ: [ ZLCS ]). Access to the full company reports can be found at:

[ www.fivestarequities.com/CTIC ]

[ www.fivestarequities.com/ZLCS ]

Biotech firms continue to negotiate a more challenging regulation process. The FDA Amendments Act of 2007 forced regulators to increase standards for approvals of new drugs, introducing mandatory risk evaluation and mitigation strategies. According to a Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology report from IMAP, several pharmaceutical firms have altered their drug portfolios from primary care driven blockbusters towards specialties such as oncology, immunology and inflammation, where the medical need is "so high that prices are more easily accepted by the regulators."

Five Star Equities releases regular market updates on the biotechnology industry so investors can stay ahead of the crowd and make the best investment decisions to maximize their returns. Take a few minutes to register with us free at [ www.fivestarequities.com ] and get exclusive access to our numerous stock reports and industry newsletters.

Zalicus Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the discovery and development of drug candidates focusing on the treatment of pain and inflammation. Last month Zalicus and Hydra Biosciences, a leader in the discovery and development of novel ion channels, announced that they have entered into a collaboration to advance development of Zalicus' preclinical ion channel modulator product candidates for the treatment of pain. Under the terms of the agreement, Zalicus will pay Hydra an upfront payment and fund research and development activities at Hydra for a two-year period.

Cell Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development, acquisition, and commercialization of drugs for the treatment of cancer.

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