Biotech Stocks Pop Off: Here's What You Missed in Friday's After-Hours Action

Biotech traders had a field day Friday night. While most retail investors were sleeping, a handful of healthcare stocks were making serious moves on the back of some juicy corporate updates and deal announcements.

The Big Movers:

Butterfly Network (BFLY) is having a moment—up 14.22% at close and another 6.04% in after-hours to $2.81. The handheld ultrasound play caught investor attention after announcing execs will hit the Evercore Healthcare Conference next month. Nothing crazy, but enough to spark some interest.

The real story? Citius Pharma (CTXR) is cooking something. The oncology subsidiary just announced a deeper collab with Verix around their AI platform to commercialize LYMPHIR (a CAR-T immunotherapy) starting Q4 2025. Stock ripped 15.15% at close, then another 7.90% after hours to $1.23. This looks like the market pricing in actual revenue potential, not just hype.

Tempest Therapeutics (TPST) turned around hard—down 4.89% at close, but popped 4.86% after hours to $3.67. The catalyst? They’re acquiring dual-targeting CAR-T programs from Factor Bioscience. The new asset (TPST-2003) hits both CD19 and BCMA, plus they just secured runway through mid-2027. That’s the kind of deal that gets algorithms excited.

A few others tagged along: ProQR (PRQR) +6.80% to $2.20, Perrigo (PRGO) +3.97% to $13.14, and Iterum (ITRM) +2.77% to $0.3969. Nothing earth-shattering, but solid momentum across the board.

Why This Matters:

Biotech has been a snoozefest for months. Now you’re seeing real deal flow and partnerships hit the tape. CAR-T is having a comeback moment—both CTXR’s LYMPHIR launch and TPST’s dual-targeting thesis suggest investors are finally rewarding companies with tangible commercialization timelines instead of just pipelines.

The after-hours pops suggest smart money is positioning ahead of actual catalysts (conference season, FDA approvals, commercial launches). If you’ve been sleeping on biotech, this might be worth a second look—but watch for the ones with real product momentum, not just sentiment plays.