NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Nov 13, 2012) - The Biotech Industry has skyrocketed in 2012 as an increase in the number of new drug approvals has boosted investor optimism within the industry. The iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Fund (IBB) and the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) have both gained over 25 percent year-to-date. Five Star Equities examines the outlook for companies in the Biotech Industry and provides equity research on Anthera Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: [ ANTH ]) and SciClone Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: [ SCLN ]).

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"In 2011, the U.S. FDA approved 30 new drugs, compared to 21 in 2010," S&P Capital IQ wrote in a note. "Through September 2012, the year-to-date total was 22. We see an improving trend for FDA first cycle review approvals and a rise in the rate of new drug approvals for rare diseases, which we think is helping to boost investor sentiment for the agency, after years of criticism stemming from inconsistency in making and communicating its decisions."

Another key factor in the Biotech Industry's success has been the "patent cliff" major pharmaceuticals have faced in 2012. Major drug manufacturers have looked to biotech companies to help offset major revenue losses from expiring patents as it is less time consuming than developing new drugs through R&D.

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Anthera Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing products to treat serious diseases associated with inflammation and autoimmune diseases. The company has recently announced that that an abstract of the results from the Phase 2b PEARL-SC clinical study has been accepted as a late-breaking poster presentation at the ACR/ARHP 2012 Annual Scientific Meeting.

SciClone Pharmaceuticals is a US-based, China-focused specialty pharmaceutical company with a product portfolio of therapies for oncology, infectious diseases and cardiovascular, urological, respiratory, and central nervous system disorders. The company reported a net loss of $13.5 million for the third quarter of 2012, compared with a net income of $10.2 million for the year-ago quarter.

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