PFE - Alector leads weekly healthcare gainers; gene-editing stocks fall after Intellia-driven rally

naphtalina/iStock via Getty Images COVID-19-related headlines dominated the holiday-shortened week as the Delta variant of the virus renewed pandemic fears across the globe. Meanwhile, with a ~1.3% gain over the past five-day period, the S&P 500 Healthcare Index outperformed the ~1.1% rise in the broader index. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) rose ~1.8% on Friday to record the sharpest gain among its mega-cap peers after the company said its COVID-19 vaccine was effective against the Delta variant, which is currently the dominant coronavirus strain in the U.S. Meanwhile, Pfizer (PFE) underperformed as the debate over the need for COVID-19 booster shots heated up over the week. Small-cap healthcare companies were the biggest movers this week as Alector (ALEC) led the sector with a five-day rise of ~64.7%. The clinical-stage biotech announced a collaboration agreement with the U.K. pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), covering two of its experimental monoclonal antibodies targeted at neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Meanwhile, Iterum Therapeutics (ITRM) dropped the most

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Alector leads weekly healthcare gainers; gene-editing stocks fall after Intellia-driven rally