Wednesday's Health Winners & Losers

Wednesday bore strong earnings for a slew of biotechs and a deal for Dade Behring(DADE Quote), which launched the stock 33%.

Clinical diagnostics company Dade Behring rocketed $19.26, to $74.17, after announcing earnings and a deal to be acquired by diagnostic company Siemens for $77 a share in cash on Wednesday.

Dade Behring's board voted unanimously to recommend shareholders tender their shares in an offer expected to commence by Aug. 8. Separately, the company reported earnings of 61 cents a share, a 42% increase from the 43 cents a share it earned in the comparable 2006 quarter. Revenue was $481 million.

Alexion Pharmaceuticals(ALXN Quote) gained $7.72, or 15.6%, to $57.44. The company reported revenue of $9.8 million compared to revenue of $300,000 for the same period last year due to increased sales of PNH drug Soliris.

Alexion reported a net loss of $27.2 million, or 75 cents a share, compared to $33.2 million, or $1.06, in the same period in 2006. On a non-GAAP basis, it reported a loss of $21.8 million, or 61 cents a share, compared to $29.5 million, or 94 cents a share, on the same basis last year. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial had expected a loss of $1.02 a share.

Anika Therapeutics (ANIK Quote) reported earning 12 cents a share in its second quarter, the same as it earned in the comparable 2006 quarter.