Monday's Health Winners & Losers

Health indices were flat Monday, though biotech companies, such as Orexigen Therapeutics(OREX Quote), released positive study data and regulatory approvals.

Orexigon climbed $1.32, or 9.2%, to $15.60 Monday, after rising $1.76 in premarket trading.

The San Diego-based biopharmaceutical company announced on Saturday that data from a sub-study of a phase IIb clinical trial of obesity drug Contrave showed improvement in visceral fat and insulin resistance. Contrave is a combination of antidepressant burpopion and the company's alcohol cessation drug naltrexone. Then on Monday, Orexigen said it was added to the Russell 2000 index.

Pfizer(PFE Quote) also said that according to a new analysis of a trial that examined the effect of reduced cholesterol levels to prevent stroke, Lipitor reduced the risk of stroke, coronary heart disease events and major coronary events in type 2 diabetes patients who had no known coronary heart disease but who had experienced a recent stroke or mini-stroke, compared with the placebo. Pfizer was up 26 cents, or 1%, to $25.65.

Also ticking up is Schering-Plough(SGP Quote), which said Monday that the European Commission approved combination therapy of Pegrintron and Rebetrol to treat previously untreated chronic hepatitis C in adults who also have clinically stable HIV.

The drugs were previously approved in the EU for treating adult patients with chronic hepatitis C alone. According to the World Health Organization, around 40% of those with HIV in Europe also have the hepatitis C virus. The Kenilworth, N.J., company's stock was up 59 cents, or 2%, to $30.11 on Monday.

Pfizer and Schering-Plough are both components of the Amex pharmaceutical index, which was up 1.89, or 0.6%, to 346.57.