Last weekend, in my Market Forecast, I said, "For the new week, it looks like the market is trying to send the Fed a message before the FOMC meeting on Wednesday.  What the market is trying to show is the potential "double-dip" if the Fed pulls out liquidity measures too soon.  On Friday, the market will get the latest unemployment rate report.  [...]

Analysts speculated that those two companies, which have similar specialties to Medarex, could be the next to be acquired.

The $2.4 billion deal for antibody technology specialist Medarex, announced late on Wednesday, marked the latest in a string of windfalls for biotech investors this year.

The industry has also seen a wave of out-sized share price gains in 2009 on the back of positive clinical data and deals.

Regeneron was up 9 percent at $19.60 in afternoon trading, while Seattle Genetics was 6.9 percent higher at $9.97.

Like Medarex, both of those companies specialize in monoclonal antibodies. Shares of ImmunoGen (Nasdaq:IMGN) another monoclonal antibody specialist, were up 3.9 percent.

"In the wake of the Medarex acquisition, I see Regeneron as one of the last remaining companies with a true (monoclonal antibody) platform that is still stand alone," ThinkEquity analyst Jason Kolbert said.

Just as Medarex had struck partnership deals, Kolbert said Regeneron has ties to large companies such as Bayer and Sanofi-Aventis.

"They have a great balance sheet, great partnerships with pharma giants," Kolbert said. "It's got all of the same ingredients that a Medarex has."

Regeneron and Seattle Genetics are the most likely next candidates to be acquired, said Mark Monane, an analyst at Needham & Co.

Monane said other characteristics that define likely biotech takeout targets included companies with hematology and oncology products, medicines in late-stage development and existing partnerships with other companies.

Monane said that other companies that could be put in play, although somewhat less likely, include Alexion Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq:ALXN), Allos Therapeutics (Nasdaq:ALTH), AMAG Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq:AMAG), ArQule (Nasdaq:ARQL), Celldex Therapeutics (Nasdaq:CLDX),  Dendreon (Nasdaq:DNDN) and Poniard Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq:PARD).

Dendreon shares rose 6.6 percent to $24.57 after a source told Reuters the biotech company hired JPMorgan Chase as an adviser to help it find an international licensing partner for its prostate cancer vaccine Provenge.

Many other large drugmakers are scrambling to buy promising biotechnology companies to fill their late-stage pipelines as they confront generic competition to big-selling products.

Indeed, Bristol-Myers CEO James Cornelius said the company remains financially able to pursue more deals even with the Medarex deal.

Earlier this month, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) completed its $930 million purchase of Cougar Biotechnology Inc, just days after agreeing to pay $1 billion for an 18 percent stake in Irish drugmaker Elan Corp (NYSE:ELN) and to acquire a major stake in Elan's portfolio of experimental treatments for Alzheimer's disease.

Several biotech companies have seen their shares soar this year after surprising investors with positive clinical data or regulatory approvals.

Just this week, Human Genome Sciences (Nasdaq:HGSI) shares jumped more than 200 percent after the company announced positive data for its experimental lupus drug.

Dendreon and MAP Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq:MAPP) are among the other companies with positive surprises this year.

(Reporting by Lewis Krauskopf and Bill Berkrot; Editing by Ted Kerr and Richard Chang)

Biotech investors interested in seeing more details about these companies and a full list of their related stories can do so by typing the stock ticker symbol into the Stock Quotes box on the right side of the page.

Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRIS), a drug development company seeking to develop proprietary targeted medicines for cancer treatment, reported its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2009.

AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAG), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of a therapeutic iron compound to treat anemia and novel imaging agents to aid in the diagnosis of cancer and cardiovascular disease, reported unaudited consolidated financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2009.

King Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE:KG) announced the Company plans to report financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2009 prior to the market open on Thursday, November 5, 2009.

Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCMP) announced it will sponsor a conference call to discuss its financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2009.

Genta Incorporated (OTC:GETA) announced top-line results from AGENDA, the Company’s Phase 3 trial of Genasense® (oblimersen sodium) Injection in patients with advanced melanoma.

Targacept, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRGT), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of drugs known as NNR Therapeutics™, announced it will report financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2009 on Thursday, November 5, 2009, after the U.S. financial markets close.

Inhibitex, Inc. (Nasdaq:INHX) reported the completion of its previously announced $23 million private placement of common stock and warrants.

Medidata Solutions (Nasdaq:MDSO), a leading global provider of hosted clinical development solutions, announced it will release its third quarter 2009 financial results following the close of the market on Thursday, November 12, 2009.

NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:NPSP) announced it plans to report its third quarter 2009 financial results on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at approximately 4:30 p.m. ET.

NeoPharm, Inc. (Other OTC:NEOL.PK) announced the appointment of Dr. Aquilur Rahman to the position of President and CEO of the Company, succeeding Laurence P. Birch, who is stepping down as President and CEO to pursue other opportunities.

ArQule, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARQL) announced it will report its financial results for the third quarter of 2009 in a press release to be issued on Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 7:00 a.m. eastern time.

Phase Forward (NASDAQ:PFWD), a leading provider of data management solutions for clinical trials and drug safety, announced a multi-year contract with renowned eye health company Bausch & Lomb.

Allergan, Inc. (NYSE:AGN) announced operating results for the quarter ended September 30, 2009. Allergan also announced its Board of Directors has declared a third quarter dividend of $0.05 per share, payable on November 30, 2009 to stockholders of record on November 9, 2009.

Medidata Solutions (Nasdaq: MDSO), a leading global provider of hosted clinical development solutions, announced members of its executive team will deliver the following presentations at key industry events in November:  1st DIA China Annual Meeting November 2-3, 2009, Beijing, China.

XenoPort, Inc. (Nasdaq:XNPT) announced it will release its third quarter financial results on November 3, 2009 at approximately 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLDX) announced positive results from Phase 1 studies of CDX-1307 in patients with advanced epithelial cancers, including breast, colon, bladder and pancreatic cancer.

Students at The Pennington School will have an unprecedented opportunity this year to conduct hands-on, high-tech science projects, thanks to sophisticated science equipment donated by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY).

PerkinElmer, Inc. (NYSE:PKI), a global leader focused on improving the health and safety of people and the environment, reported financial results for the third quarter ended October 4, 2009.

Exelixis, Inc. (Nasdaq:EXEL) reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2009.

PharMerica Corporation (NYSE:PMC), a national provider of institutional pharmacy and hospital pharmacy management services, reported the results of its third quarter of 2009 and nine months ended September 30, 2009.

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:HGSI) announced financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2009, and provided highlights of recent key developments.

ImmunoGen, Inc. (Nasdaq:IMGN), a biotechnology company develops targeted anticancer products using its antibody expertise and Targeted Antibody Payload (TAP) technology, announced financial results for the three-month period ended September 30, 2009 – the first quarter of the Company’s 2010 fiscal year (1QFY10).

Dynavax Technologies Corporation (Nasdaq:DVAX) announced the first clinical data for HEPLISAVTM investigational hepatitis B vaccine in chronic kidney disease patients.

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:CPIX) and Phebra Pty Ltd., an Australian-based specialty pharmaceutical company, announced they have entered into an exclusive partnership for the commercialization of Caldolor® (ibuprofen) Injection in Australia and New Zealand.

Synovis Life Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:SYNO), a leading biomaterial and surgical products company, will present at the Oppenheimer 20th Annual Healthcare Conference at 3:30 p.m. CT (4:30 p.m. ET) on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.

Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq:NVAX) a clinical-stage vaccine company, announced Dr. Rahul Singhvi, President and Chief Executive Officer, will be presenting at the Oppenheimer 20th Annual Healthcare Conference.

Depomed, Inc. (NASDAQ:DEPO) reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2009.

Perrigo Company (Nasdaq:PRGO) announced its Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.0625 per share, payable on December 15, 2009 to shareholders of record on November 27, 2009.

Transgenomic Inc. (OTC:TBIO) announces the following Webcast: What: Transgenomic Inc. Third Quarter 2009 Earnings Release Conferece Call When: Thursday, November 5, 2009 @ 5:00 p.m. Eastern Where: http://www.transgenomic.com/events.asp?id=6 How:Live over the Internet -- Simply log on to the web at the address above. Contact:Investor Relations, 402-452-5400

Hospira, Inc. (NYSE:HSP) celebrates the 25th anniversary of its market-leading patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) infusion system. Introduced in 1984, Hospira's PCA was the first pump of its kind, revolutionizing pain management.

IntriCon Corporation (NASDAQ:IIN), a designer, developer, manufacturer and distributor of body-worn medical and electronics devices, announced it will be presenting at the 2009 TechAmerica AeA Classic Financial Conference on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, at 9:05 a.m. PT.

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) announced its Board of Directors has approved giving shareholders an advisory vote on executive compensation.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) and Schering-Plough Corporation (NYSE: SGP) announced they have received clearance from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Swiss Competition Commission and the Canadian Competition Bureau for their proposed merger.

CEO Thomas A. Moore of Advaxis, Inc., (OTC:ADXS), the live, attenuated Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) biotechnology company, will present at the 8th Annual BIO Investors Forum at the Grand Hotel in San Francisco, CA.

CNS Response, Inc. (OTC:CNSO) announced CEO George Carpenter will be conducting a conference call and simultaneous web conference to discuss top-line study results in a 12-week trial for patients with depression treatment failure on Tuesday, November 3, at 8:00 a.m. Pacific (PST), 11:00 a.m. Eastern (EST). Joining Mr. Carpenter will be CNS Response President and CMO Daniel Hoffman, M.D., and Charles DeBattista, M.D., Stanford University School of Medicine.

China Biopharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc. (OTC:CHBP), an integrated bio-pharmaceutical company, based in the People's Republic of China, announced its shareholders have approved the acquisition of CHBP by NeoStem, Inc. (NYSE AMEX: NBS) by an overwhelming vote in favor of approximately 80% of all issued and outstanding shares.

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:ONXX) announced more than 25 studies evaluating the use of Nexavar® (sorafenib) tablets in liver cancer will be presented at The Liver Meeting®, the 60th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).

MinuteClinic, the retail health care division of CVS Caremark (NYSE:CVS), and Allina Hospitals & Clinics of Minnesota and western Wisconsin have formed a partnership to pursue collaborative activities which will focus on enhancing high-quality health care services in the communities they serve.

VeriChip Corporation (NASDAQ:CHIP) announced its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Scott R. Silverman, will present at the ID World International Congress in Milan, Italy, which runs from November 3-5, 2009, and is the world's leading symposium on the future directions of identification technology.

ArQule, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARQL) announced it will report its financial results for the third quarter of 2009 in a press release to be issued on Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 7:00 a.m. eastern time.

BloggingStocks: Analyst upgrades: Deutsche Bank upgraded ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) to Buy from Hold on expectations that oil supply will begin to tighten and demand rise. The firm has a $55 price target on the stock. Citigroup upgraded Pinnacle West (NYSE: ... Read more

Last night, in my weekly Market Forecast, I mentioned that we’ll need to see some more "venting" in some of the commodity sectors.  Indeed today, we saw weakness in these sectors.  I also thought that coals and steels may not be done going up, although they also needed to let off more steam.  After the morning [...]