Despite another less-than-stellar Consumer Price Index report and more volatility among regional bank stocks, growth equities, on balance, were on the upswing this week. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite, for instance, edged higher by nearly 3% during the first three and a half days of trading this week, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Among the best performers within the growth stock landscape this week were biopharmaceuticals. During the same period, the gene-editing pioneer CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CRSP) saw its shares jump by a healthy 24.6%, shares of the central nervous system drug developer BioXcel Therapeutics (NASDAQ: BTAI) rose by 19.8%, and the equity price of the genetic medicine company Verve Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VERV) stormed higher by a noteworthy 11%. 

Why were these biopharma stocks churning higher in this volatile market? CRISPR has been steadily marching northward in anticipation of a possible regulatory approval for its gene-edited blood disorder therapy exa-cel. Exa-cel is being co-developed with rare disease specialist Vertex Pharmaceuticals, which bodes well for the therapy's commercial ramp (assuming approval). 

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Source Fool.com