A fully approved COVID-19 vaccine, clinical advances of pandemic antibodies and multibillion-dollar deals appear to be the driving forces of increasing biopharma stock prices. BioWorld’s Biopharmaceutical Index is tracking ahead by 10.6% this year, after several months of negative numbers.

Biopharma company deals with nonprofit entities, as well as grants, are not keeping the same pace as last year, but the proportion of money flowing into COVID-19 efforts continues to account for the majority of those recorded overall.

A quick look back at top stories.

The top 10 biopharma stock gainers and losers for the week.

The completion of the third largest biopharmaceutical acquisition on record has significantly boosted M&A values in 2021, although the industry still falls more than 38% below the same period last year.

Bioworld’s Drug Developers Index is at its highest point this year, up 4.99%, despite some index members receiving FDA complete response letters and reporting lower-than-expected sales within the last month. Moderna Inc., with its mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine gaining more traction worldwide, is largely responsible for the rise, with its own shares (NASDAQ:MRNA) up nearly 285%.