Will investors notice NEJM's spotlight on PhaseBio?

It’s hardly an investor darling: Shares for PhaseBio, a small Pennsylvania-based firm, are down 25 percent since its IPO just five months back. However, the New England Journal of Medicine has directed a spotlight on the tiny biotech — highlighting how its experimental drug, PB2452, has shown efficacy in controlling bleeds caused by AstraZeneca’s heart drug, Brilinta.

While doctors tell STAT’s Matt Herper that PhaseBio’s drug could indeed have practical use, others argue that the subset of patients benefitting is small: Specifically those who are taking Brilinta and need surgery, or are having excessive bleeding for another reason. Will investors bite?