Monday's Health Winners & Losers

Health indices were flat Monday, though biotech companies, such as Orexigen Therapeutics(OREX), 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) 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), 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.