NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire -08/30/12)- Biotechnology stocks continue to be some of the strongest performers in the markets as favorable legislation, such as the FAST and TREAT acts, have helped boost investor optimism within the industry. The iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Fund (IBB) is up over 30 percent in 2012 -- handedly outperforming the Dow Jones industrial average year-to-date. Five Star Equities examines the outlook for companies in the Biotech Industry and provides equity research on Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ALXA) and Discovery Laboratories, Inc. (DSCO).

Access to the full company reports can be found at:

http://www.FiveStarEquities.com/ALXA

http://www.FiveStarEquities.com/DSCO

The FAST and TREAT acts introduced in 2012 have helped accelerate the development, review and approval process of medicines/personalized therapies for patients suffering from serious and life-threatening diseases. According to recent data from Thomson Reuters, biotech mergers & acquisitions activity is currently at a four-year high as large pharmaceuticals are facing major patent cliffs. So far in 2012 the volume of biotech M&A has exceeded $25 billion, compared to roughly 10 billion in the same period of 2011.

"Their patents have expired, and as a result they have holes in their revenue line they are trying to fill," said Scott Lindsay, global head of mergers and acquisitions at Credit Suisse. "The other part is just shoring up the pipeline they have. So even if they don't have a major patent problem, they're all looking for growth."

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Alexza is a pharmaceutical company focused on the research, development and commercialization of novel, proprietary products for the acute treatment of central nervous system conditions. Alexza's technology, the Staccato system, vaporizes unformulated drug to form a condensation aerosol that, when inhaled, allows for rapid systemic drug delivery through deep lung inhalation.

Discovery Laboratories, Inc. is a specialty biotechnology company with one focus -- to create life-saving products for critical care patients with respiratory disease and improve the standard of care for pulmonary medicine. Shares of the company surged earlier this week after analysts at Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage and set a "buy" rating for the company.

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Merger and Acquisition Activity Within the Biotech Industry Soars to a Four-Year High