Winners & Losers

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Thursday's Small-Cap Winners & Losers

Sarina Penn

Small-cap stocks leapt higher than the broader market Thursday as several health names ratcheted up on positive news.

Leading the way was Seattle-based Dendreon (DNDN Quote), shares of which soared 27% to $8.55 after the Food and Drug Administration detailed what extra information it will require for approval of the biotech's prostate-cancer vaccine, Provenge.

Also surging on regulatory news was Critical Therapeutics (CRTX Quote), another biotech. Shares of the Lexington, Mass., company traded up 21.4% to $3.23 after the FDA approved for commercialization Zyflo CR, extended-release tablets for asthma treatment. Critical will co-promote the drug with Dey, an affiliate of Germany's Merck GKaA.

Meanwhile Canada-based OccuLogix (OCCX Quote), which makes systems for eye-disease treatment, jumped 15.8% to $1.17 on word it will be taken private by JEGC OCC, a private-equity group ultimately controlled by Occulogix CEO Elias Vamvakas and David Folk of Jefferson Partners.

On or before June 22, JEGC will buy TLCVision's (TLCV Quote) 1.9-million-share Occulogix stake for $1.05 a share -- a slight premium to the stock's latest close price -- and within the next 90 days it will acquire the remainder of the company. TLCVision shares slipped 2 cents to $5.94.

Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide (QTWW Quote), based in Irvine, Calif., bounced 22% to $1.78 after its Tecstar Automotive Group struck a deal to provide Force Protection (FRPT Quote) with engineering design and production support for a mine-resistant line of its military vehicles. Terms weren't disclosed. Force Protection shares dropped 6% to $28.47.

Elsewhere, Ohio's Jo-Ann Stores (JAS Quote) quartered its losses from last year to 7 cents a share. This meets Wall Street expectations, per Thomson Financial. JoAnn shares added 9.5% to $33.82, helping to boost both the Russell 2000 and the S&P SmallCap 600 -- each higher by 0.5%.

Among sliding small-cap names, however, Novacea (NOVC Quote) pulled back a bit from Wednesday's giant leap after a Bear Stearns analyst cut its rating to peer perform from outperform, citing valuation. Yesterday, shares exploded on word of a lucrative new deal with Schering-Plough (SGP Quote). Today, shares lost 15.1% to $12.74.

Blyth (BTH Quote) sank 9.2% after the home-goods retailer shaved a nickel off its fiscal 2008 income guidance to range between $1.02 to $1.12 a share. Excluding items, its profit should be between $1.32 and $1.37 a share, or at least a penny under two analysts' estimates. Earnings for the quarter ended April 30 far exceeded expectations, but shares were still off $2.78, at $27.44.